Consultation launched: The Proposed Civil Protection Orders and Access to Justice (Scotland) Bill

Friday, 18th December, 2009

The bill, proposed by Rhona Grant MSP, seeks to improve access to protection and justice for anyone who is subjected to abuse and to ensure that if a protection order is breached that this is treated as a criminal offence.
 
The proposed Bill would:

• Remove the requirement to show a course of conduct before a nonharassment order could be granted by either the civil or criminal court, requiring only one incident of harassing behaviour.
• Make legal aid free to all for an application to a civil court for an interdict with a power of arrest, or a non-harassment order, where domestic abuse is involved. This will allow all victims of domestic abuse, regardless of economic background, to access the protection afforded by these orders. Victims would no longer have to pay for their own protection.
• Make it a criminal offence to breach an interdict with a power of arrest.

 
Download the consultation document below
 
The deadline for responses is 26th February 2010