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Other Types of Protection
Restraining orders
A restraining order is an order prohibiting someone in court charged with a domestic abuse from contacting the person they are alleged to have abused. It is made in the criminal courts. Most restraining orders will be made when someone is convicted, However, it is possible for the court to make a restraining order even when someone has been acquitted or the CPS offer no evidence. Generally, the prosecution will ask for one, but the court can make one of its own initiative.
It is not the same as a non-molestation order, which is made in the family courts. Non-molestation orders are usually made for shorter periods.
Breach of a restraining order is a criminal offence and can lead to up to 5 years’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.
The CPS website contains useful information about what the court has to consider before making a restraining order, and what it might say.
Domestic abuse notices and orders
***Not currently available in Norfolk as the law is new and is being rolled out gradually***
A domestic abuse protection notice is a written document banning an adult from being abusive to someone to whom they are personally connected.
It can be issued by a senior police officer when they have reasonable grounds to believe that someone has been abusive to another person to whom they are connected and that the notice is necessary to protect them from domestic abuse. The notice can ban the abuser from contacting the victim-survivor, make them move out if they live together, or stop them from evicting their victim. The victim-survivor’s views must be considered but they don’t need to agree.
When they issue a notice, the police must apply for a domestic abuse protection order from the court, which would then replace the notice. This involves a court hearing within 48 hours. The court order has wider powers than the notice, as it can do things such as require the abuser to attend a perpetrator programme or seek treatment for substance abuse, or a mental health assessment. Orders can last forever but can be ended or changed. The abuser can also be given an ankle tag.
You can find more information on the government website.
Currently, these are only available if the person you need protection from lives in:
Greater Manchester
the London boroughs of Croydon, Bromley or Sutton
Hartlepool, Middlesborough, Redcar, Cleveland or Stockton-on-Tees
North Wales