The Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001 (asp 14) is an

Act of the Scottish Parliament An act of the Scottish Parliament () is primary legislation made by the Scottish Parliament. The power to create acts was conferred to the Parliament by section 28 of the Scotland Act 1998 following the successful 1997 Scottish devolution ref ...

. It was passed on 4 October 2001, receiving

Royal Assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in othe ...

on 6 November.

Background and legislation

In January 2000, following the devolution of the Scottish Parliament the previous year,

Justice Minister A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

Jim Wallace James Robert Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness, (born 25 August 1954) is a Scottish politician serving as a Liberal Democrat life peer in the House of Lords, British House of Lords since 2007. He served as the Deputy First Minister of Scotl ...

announced proposals to reform family law in Scotland, which would include new legislation on

domestic abuse Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. In a broader sense, abuse including nonphysical abuse in such settings is called domestic abuse. The term "domestic violence" is often use ...

. Plans to increase protection for victims of domestic violence were temporarily delayed but the Protection from Abuse (Scotland)

bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pl ...

was published in June 2001 and was subsequently passed by the parliament on 4 October. The act received Royal Assent on 6 November. The act allows

interdict In Catholic canon law, an interdict () is an ecclesiastical censure, or ban that prohibits certain persons or groups from participating in particular rites, or that the rites and services of the church are prohibited in certain territories for ...

s to be brought against abusers by their victims and gives the police the power to arrest and charge an individual who breaks such an interdict. By giving the police this new power, the act amends the Matrimonial Homes (Family Protection) (Scotland) Act 1981. The 2001 act was intended to extend protection to victims of domestic abuse by unmarried and same-sex partners, as well as those no longer in a relationship with their abuser.

References

Acts of the Scottish Parliament 2001 Scottish criminal law Scots family law Domestic violence {{UK-statute-stub

Background and legislation

See also

References