{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-abuse-scotland-act-2018/section-1",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-abuse-scotland-act-2018/section-1.json",
  "legislation": "asp/2018/5",
  "legislation_title": "Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-abuse-scotland-act-2018",
  "path": "section/1",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "1",
  "heading": "Abusive behaviour towards partner or ex-partner",
  "text": "(1) A person commits an offence if—\n(a) the person (“A”) engages in a course of behaviour which is abusive of A's partner or ex-partner (“B”), and\n(b) both of the further conditions are met.\n(2) The further conditions are—\n(a) that a reasonable person would consider the course of behaviour to be likely to cause B to suffer physical or psychological harm,\n(b) that either—\n(i) A intends by the course of behaviour to cause B to suffer physical or psychological harm, or\n(ii) A is reckless as to whether the course of behaviour causes B to suffer physical or psychological harm.\n(3) In the further conditions, the references to psychological harm include fear, alarm and distress.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 1 in force at 1.4.2019 by S.S.I. 2018/387, reg. 2 (with reg. 4)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2018/5/section/1",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T20:13:16.258972+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."
}