The Domestic Abuse Bill’s second reading took place on 2 October 2019. The House of Commons Library have produced a briefing providing an overview of the Bill.
According to the report, the main provisions of the Bill will include:
- Part 1, Chapter 1 (clauses 1 and 2) of the Bill would introduce a new definition of domestic abuse to the law of England and Wales.
- Part 1, Chapter 2 (clauses 3 to 18) of the Bill would provide the framework for a new Domestic Abuse Commissioner.
- Clause 55 would put the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme on a statutory footing.
- Part 3 (clause 75) would make provision for prohibiting perpetrators of abuse from cross-examining their victims in the family courts (and vice versa), in certain circumstances.
