In March 2021 a specific offence of domestic abuse passed into law in Northern Ireland under section 1 of the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021. The new legislation has the effect of criminalising coercive and controlling behaviour, thus bringing Northern Ireland into line with the other jurisdictions within the UK and Ireland, and also with relevant human rights standards.

This presentation will examine the reasons why the new offence of domestic abuse was needed, and will engage in comparative analysis with the corresponding legislative provisions for England and Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. However, although the enactment of the domestic abuse offence is certainly a very positive development, there is still more that needs to be done as regards Northern Ireland’s response to domestic violence, as will be discussed.

Dr Ronagh McQuigg is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Law.

Please email mitchell.institute@qub.ac.uk to register before 10am on the 13^th October. The link to the meeting will be sent before the event.

See the full Fireside Chat schedule for 2021-22 Semester 1 here.