15 November 2010
Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant has given evidence to the Justice Committee at Stage 1 of her Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill.
Her Bill contains three main proposals:
– Make it a criminal offence to breach an interdict with a power of arrest.
– Make legal aid available, without contribution, to all for an application in a civil court for an interdict with a power of arrest or a non-harassment order involving domestic abuse.
– Remove the requirement to show a course of conduct before a non-harassment order can be granted by a civil court, requiring only one incident of harassing behaviour in cases of domestic abuse.
Rhoda Grant said: “While there appears to be general consensus around many aspects of the Bill the committee have asked for further clarification on a number of issues.
“The main area of contention is whether legal aid should be made available to victims of domestic abuse seeking remedy from the Bill.
“However, I am clear that victims should not have to pay for their own protection in such cases and that the state has a duty to provide this protection.”
She added: “I very much hope that the committee will recommend that the general principles of my bill be agreed to at Stage 1 thus allowing it to proceed through the parliamentary process.”
Rhoda Grant MSP 