Domestic Abuse Act 2021 – key developments and what has changed

Many aspects of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 have been in place for a few years. But certain aspects of the Act have only come into force recently, and there are further changes due to come into effect.

The act has changed various areas of law, principally family and children. The new provisions affect the advice given to alleged victims and identified perpetrators, not only in injunction proceedings, but also in associated children proceedings.

There are new offences created, as well as changes to the procedure and processes. In particular, what will happen to non-molestation and occupation orders? What advice should you be providing going forward?

There are changes that will impact the advice given by both private practice and local authority lawyers and familiarity with the provisions in the Act is essential in order to advise competently.

This webinar will cover the changes that both family and children lawyers need to be aware of, both now and as more parts of the Act come into force.

Topics:

• A summary of the main provisions within the Domestic Abuse Act 2021
• Statutory definition of domestic abuse – how does this change matters, and are you using the new definition in practice?
• Cross-examination – what has changed?
• Position with qualified legal representatives – how does this work in practice?
• Special measures and participation directions – what has changed?
• Domestic abuse protection notices and orders –how are the ‘pilots’ to be progressed?
• Impact of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 to the way in which non-molestation and occupation orders are run
• Electronic monitoring – how is this going to work in relation to domestic abuse protection notices and orders?
• Economic abuse and how this applies in practice
• Children as victims of abuse in their own right
• Criminal offences linked to domestic abuse, including non-fatal strangulation and suffocation, disclosure of intimate photographs, and offences committed outside the UK
• Domestic violence disclosure scheme and changes
• Mandatory polygraph examinations
• Role of domestic abuse commissioner
• Importance of domestic abuse local partnership boards