{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-abuse-act-2021/section-63",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-abuse-act-2021/section-63.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2021/17",
  "legislation_title": "Domestic Abuse Act 2021",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-abuse-act-2021",
  "path": "section/63",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "63",
  "heading": "Special measures in family proceedings: victims of domestic abuse",
  "text": "(1) This section applies where rules of court provide that the court may make a special measures direction in relation to a person (“P”) who is a party or witness in family proceedings.\n(2) Rules of court must provide that where P is, or is at risk of being, a victim of domestic abuse carried out by a person listed in subsection (3), it is to be assumed that the following matters are likely to be diminished by reason of vulnerability—\n(a) the quality of P's evidence;\n(b) where P is a party to the proceedings, P's participation in the proceedings.\n(3) The persons referred to in subsection (2) are—\n(a) a party to the proceedings;\n(b) a relative of a party to the proceedings (other than P);\n(c) a witness in the proceedings.\n(4) Rules of court may provide for an exception to the provision made by virtue of subsection (2) where P does not wish to be deemed to be eligible for the making of a special measures direction by virtue of that subsection.\n(5) In this section—\n“family proceedings” has the meaning given by section 75(3) of the Courts Act 2003;\n“relative” has the meaning given by section 63(1) of the Family Law Act 1996;\n“special measures” means such measures as may be specified by rules of court for the purpose of assisting a person to give evidence or participate in proceedings;\n“special measures direction” means a direction by the court granting special measures.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 63 in force at 1.10.2021 by S.I. 2021/1038, reg. 2(d)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2021/17/section/63",
    "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."
}