We are disappointed that it has taken so long to issue regulations on this important legislation, long campaigned for and much needed, since it passed in March 2022. The passing of that legislation made Northern Ireland, for once, a leader in this field, among the jurisdictions on these islands. Since then, other jurisdictions have followed the example laid down here, passed and then enacted the legislation. Meanwhile, survivors in Northern Ireland, a place with disproportionate levels of domestic abuse, have had to wait for more than two and a half years to see the work carried to fruition.
It is difficult to overstate how disappointing this turn of events is, for the women’s sector who fought hard to support this law and see it passed, and especially for the thousands who could have benefited from its provisions had it been enacted in a timely fashion. The lackadaisical attitude towards this legislation – which had to come via a Private Members Bill, rather than from the Department of Justice as part of the Domestic Abuse legislation – is indicative of how seriously the issue of Domestic Abuse and especially violence against women and girls is seen in this jurisdiction, as compared with our nearest neighbours. While we are pleased to see this legislation finally being enacted, we remain disappointed at the way that the Department for the Economy has handled this.
This is an excerpt from the WPG NI Response to Domestic Abuse Safe Leave Consultation. You can read the full document here.
