{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-abuse-act-2021/section-31",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-abuse-act-2021/section-31.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2021/17",
  "legislation_title": "Domestic Abuse Act 2021",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-abuse-act-2021",
  "path": "section/31",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "31",
  "heading": "Domestic abuse protection orders otherwise than on application",
  "text": "(1) A court may make a domestic abuse protection order under this section in any of the cases set out below.\nFamily proceedings\n(2) The High Court or the family court may make a domestic abuse protection order against a person (“P”) in any family proceedings to which both P and the person for whose protection the order would be made are parties.\nCriminal proceedings\n(3) Where a person (“P”) has been convicted of an offence, the court dealing with P for that offence may (as well as sentencing P or dealing with P in any other way) make a domestic abuse protection order against P.\n(4) But subsection (3) does not apply where the Court of Appeal is dealing with a person for an offence.\n(5) A court by or before which a person is acquitted of an offence may make a domestic abuse protection order against the person.\n(6) Where the Crown Court allows a person's appeal against a conviction for an offence, the Crown Court may make a domestic abuse protection order against the person.\nCivil proceedings\n(7) The county court may make a domestic abuse protection order against a person (“P”) in any relevant proceedings to which both P and the person for whose protection the order would be made are parties.\n(8) In subsection (7) “relevant proceedings” means proceedings of a description specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 31 in force at 27.11.2024 until the end of the specified period on 24.11.2026 in relation to specified areas by S.I. 2024/1191, regs. 1(2)(g), 2, 3(1) (with reg. 4) (as amended (21.11.2025) by S.I. 2025/1222, regs. 1(2), 2 and (25.3.2026) by S.I. 2026/342, regs. 1(2), 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I2",
      "text": "S. 31 in force at 5.3.2025 until the end of the specified period on 26.11.2025 in relation to the specified area by S.I. 2025/261, regs. 1(2)(f), 2, 3 (with reg. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I3",
      "text": "S. 31 in force at 11.3.2025 until the end of the specified period on 24.11.2026 in relation to the specified areas by S.I. 2025/319, regs. 1(2)(f), 2, 3 (with reg. 4) (as amended (21.11.2025) by S.I. 2025/1222, regs. 1(2), 3 and (25.3.2026) by S.I. 2026/342, regs. 1(2), 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I4",
      "text": "S. 31 in force at 28.4.2025 until the end of the specified period on 24.11.2026 in relation to the specified areas by S.I. 2025/515, regs. 1(3)(e)(f), 2 (with reg. 3) (as amended (21.11.2025) by S.I. 2025/1222, regs. 1(2), 4 and (25.3.2026) by S.I. 2026/342, regs. 1(2), 4)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2021/17/section/31",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T08:58:49.211647+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}