Family Law News Edinburgh

Edinburgh Police are targeting domestic abusers as part of their Christmas crackdown after figures revealed that police deal with 15 incidents a day in the capital. .

A law that will allow people to find out if their partner has been involved in domestic abuse in previous relationships is to be launched in Scotland.

Two police districts in Scotland are to pilot a law which will ensure that people can check whether or not their partner has a history of domestic abuse or violence. Described as ‘a right to know’, the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme will enable women and men to request information on their partner’s history and criminal record from the police.

The UK Government last month extended the definition of domestic violence to include victims aged 16 and 17. The redefinition only applies to England and Wales.

Removing the requirement for corroboration in Scots law could help to protect the rights of victims of domestic abuse, the Solicitor General has said.

A dedicated domestic abuse court is to be piloted at Livingston Sheriff Court from Thursday 16th February. The new multi-agency pilot will improve the service domestic abuse victims in West Lothian receive from the criminal justice system. The pilot will initially run for 12 months.

A domestic abuse court is to be piloted at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. The specialist court aims to improve the way in which allegations of domestic abuse are dealt with in the criminal justice system.

Edinburgh City Council has chaired a seminar on domestic abuse which looked at how different agencies involved in domestic violence should work together to tackle the problem. The event was part of the International 16 Days of Action Opposing Violence Against Women campaign which runs until 10th December.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal service has announced that the specialist domestic abuse court at Dunfermline Sheriff Court will become a permanent feature after the conclusion of successful pilot programme, reports the Journal Online.

A flagship report from UN Women, the UN’s new organisation for women, calls on governments to take urgent action to end the injustices that keep women poorer and less powerful than men in every country in the world.

The European Commission (EC) is proposing a package of measures to ensure a minimum level of rights, support and protection for victims of crime across the EU, no matter where they come from or live.

MSPs have voted unanimously to pass the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill, which was introduced by Rhona Grant MSP on 27th May 2010. The Bill creates a specific type of interdict for domestic abuse situations and breach of such orders will be classed as a criminal, instead of a civil, offence.

Reported cases of domestic abuse increased over the Christmas and New Year period, according to new figures published by Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU).

Figures released by the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) have revealed the shocking toll of domestic abuse in Scotland over the festive season. Police forces across the country recorded 4783 incidents of abuse between 1st – 31st December – around 154 every day.