Domestic Abuse Act 2018
The Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 received Royal Assent on 9th March 2018 and was implemented on 1st April 2019.
03 April
The legislation has been shaped by those who have experienced domestic abuse and creates an offence with respect to a course of behaviour which is abusive towards that person's partner or ex-partner.
The new law covers not only spouses, civil partners and cohabitants but also people in intimate personal relationships who do not live together.
As well as physical abuse, it will cover other forms of psychological abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour that cannot be easily prosecuted under the existing law.