Current status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 18 February 2026
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to bring into force part 1 of the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021.
The Scottish Government is committed to fully implementing Part 1 of the 2021 Act, but it is a complex piece of legislation with recognised operational challenges, as identified by justice partners and stakeholders. Following a workshop in March 2025, key stakeholders were of the view that fundamental changes were needed to the legislation to ensure that the policy aims of a domestic abuse protection order could be realised in a sustainable way. A short life working group was therefore established to consider possible legislative changes to ensure that the Act can be implemented as intended. That group has now met five times following the first meeting on 11 September 2025. This work will inform a consultation in early 2026 on possible changes to the legislation.