Domestic abusers to face tougher restrictions as new protective orders launched

Domestic abusers will face tougher restrictions from Wednesday with the launch of new court orders to keep them away from their victims.

The new domestic abuse protection notices and orders (DAPNs and DAPOs), legislated for by the previous government in 2021, are set to be trialled in parts of England and Wales before being rolled out across the country.

The new orders can be imposed by any court and bring together powers in other protective orders to provide “flexible and long-term protection” for victims of domestic abuse, Domestic Abuse Commissioner Nicole Jacobs said.

Restrictions

They are intended to cover all forms of domestic abuse and, unlike some orders that only last for 28 days, will have no time restrictions.

Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, said: “More than two million people are estimated to have experienced domestic abuse in the last year – a number that is appalling, frightening and we are determined to change.

“That’s why one of our first acts against our ambitious manifesto pledge to halve violence against women and girls in a decade is to launch new, strengthened domestic abuse protection orders.

“By bringing together the strongest elements of existing orders into a flexible order that covers all forms of domestic abuse and has no time limit, we’ll ensure more victims receive the robust protection they deserve.”

Exclusion zones

Along with imposing exclusion zones, the orders can make positive requirements of abusers such as attending behaviour change programmes. Breaching the requirements of an order will be a criminal offence punishable by up to five years in prison.

Family courts will also be able to impose tagging for up to 12 months in the most serious cases, something that previously could only be done by criminal courts or the police.

Another innovation is that a victims’ friends and family will be able to apply for an order on their behalf, which victims minister Alex Davies-Jones said would “reduce the pressure on victims”.

She said: “It takes tremendous courage for victims of domestic abuse to seek help. Our role in Government is to make this as straightforward as possible.”

The new orders will be trialled in Greater Manchester, three London boroughs and by the British Transport Police, with further pilots in Cleveland and North Wales early in 2025 prior to a UK-wide rollout.