Domestic Abuse Bill 2017-19
This briefing provides an overview of the Domestic Abuse Bill in advance of its second reading on 2 October 2019.
The Domestic Abuse Bill 2017-19 was introduced in the House of Commons on 16 July 2019. The Bill, together with its Explanatory Notes, are available on the Parliament website, where one can follow the Bill’s progress.
The Bill's second reading is scheduled for 2 October 2019.
The Bill was announced during the Queen’s Speech on 21 June 2017, following a commitment in the Conservative Party manifesto 2017 to deliver “Protections for victims of domestic abuse in law through a new landmark Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill.”
A draft version of the Bill was published on 21 January 2019 as part of the Government’s response to the consultation on ‘Transforming the response to domestic abuse’, which ran from 8 March 2018 to 31 May 2018.
The draft Bill was scrutinised by the Joint Committee on the Draft Domestic Abuse Bill, which reported on 11 June 2019. The Government responded to the Committee on 16 July 2019.
Alongside the Bill, the Home Office and Ministry of Justice have published a collection of factsheets and supporting documents, available on Gov.uk.