Domestic Abuse Act 2021

22 Power to give a domestic abuse protection notice

(1) A senior police officer may give a domestic abuse protection notice to a person (“P”) if conditions A and B are met.

(2) A domestic abuse protection notice is a notice prohibiting P from being abusive towards a person aged 16 or over to whom P is personally connected.

(Section 23 contains further provision about the provision that may be made by notices.)

(3) Condition A is that the senior police officer has reasonable grounds for believing that P has been abusive towards a person aged 16 or over to whom P is personally connected.

(4) Condition B is that the senior police officer has reasonable grounds for believing that it is necessary to give the notice to protect that person from domestic abuse, or the risk of domestic abuse, carried out by P.

(5) It does not matter whether the abusive behaviour referred to in subsection (3) took place in England and Wales or elsewhere.

(6) A domestic abuse protection notice may not be given to a person who is under the age of 18.

(7) A domestic abuse protection notice has effect in all parts of the United Kingdom.

(8) In this Part—

• “senior police officer” means a member of a relevant police force who is a constable of at least the rank of inspector;

• “relevant police force” means—

  (a)

  a force maintained by a local policing body;

  (b)

  the British Transport Police Force;

  (c)

  the Ministry of Defence Police.