This idea has been created by the Scrutinise team as a historical case study. It represents real legislation that reached the statute book through civil society advocacy. It is presented here to show how that process might have looked on Scrutinise.
Domestic Abuse Act 2021
Created the first statutory definition of domestic abuse in England and Wales, established the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, recognised children as victims in their own right, and prohibited perpetrators from cross-examining victims in court. A decade-long coalition campaign.
Summary
Created the first statutory definition of domestic abuse in England and Wales, established the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, recognised children as victims in their own right, and prohibited perpetrators from cross-examining victims in court. A decade-long coalition campaign.
Challenge (summary)
There was no statutory definition of domestic abuse in England and Wales. The legal framework was fragmented, coercive control was not recognised as abuse, and perpetrators could cross-examine their victims directly in family proceedings.
Approach (summary)
A comprehensive statutory framework: define domestic abuse to include coercive and controlling behaviour, create an independent Commissioner to drive the national response, and strengthen court protections for victims.
First step (summary)
Introduce a Domestic Abuse Bill creating the statutory definition including psychological, emotional and economic abuse; establish the Domestic Abuse Commissioner in statute; prohibit personal cross-examination of victims by perpetrators in civil proceedings.