{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-abuse-act-2021/section-56",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-abuse-act-2021/section-56.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2021/17",
  "legislation_title": "Domestic Abuse Act 2021",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-abuse-act-2021",
  "path": "section/56",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "56",
  "heading": "Interpretation of Part 3",
  "text": "(1) In this Part—\n“chief officer of police” means—\n(a)in relation to a police force maintained by a local policing body, the chief officer of police of that force;\n(b)in relation to the British Transport Police Force, the Chief Constable of the Force;\n(c)in relation to the Ministry of Defence Police, the Chief Constable of the Ministry of Defence Police;\n“domestic abuse protection notice” has the meaning given by section 22(2);\n“domestic abuse protection order” has the meaning given by section 27(1);\n“electronic monitoring requirement” has the meaning given by section 35(6);\n“family proceedings” means—\n(a)proceedings in the family court (other than proceedings under or by virtue of this Part), and\n(b)family proceedings within the meaning of Part 5 of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984;\n“home address”, in relation to a person, means—\n(a)the address of the person's sole or main residence in the United Kingdom, or\n(b)if the person has no such residence—\n(i)the address or location of a place in the United Kingdom where the person can regularly be found;\n(ii)if there is more than one such place, the address or location of whichever one of those places the person selects;\n“relevant police force” has the meaning given by section 22(8);\n“requirement”, in relation to a domestic abuse protection order, is to be read in accordance with section 35(1);\n“senior police officer” has the meaning given by section 22(8).\n(2) Any reference to a member of a police force includes, in the case of a police force maintained by a local policing body, a reference to a special constable appointed by the chief officer of police of that force.\n(3) Any reference to changing home address includes a reference to a case where—\n(a) a person acquires a home address at any time, and\n(b) immediately before that time, the person did not have a home address.\n(4) See also—\n(a) section 1 (definition of “domestic abuse”);\n(b) section 2 (definition of “personally connected”).",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 56 in force at 27.11.2024 until the end of the specified period on 24.11.2026 for E.W. 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)S. 56 in force at 27.11.2024 until the end of the specified period on 24.11.2026 in relation to E.W. by S.I. 2024/1191, regs. 1(2)(g), 2, 3(2)(m) (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. 56 in force at 5.3.2025 until the end of the specified period on 26.11.2025 for E.W. 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. 56 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. 56 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": [
    {
      "type": "inserted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2024/21",
      "affecting_title": "Victims and Prisoners Act 2024"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2021/17/section/56",
    "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."
}