English and Welsh Police Law Explained
Aug 4, 2026 · 17 min · 10 segments
In this weeks episode we look at legislation to protect people from domestic abuse under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Today's legislation can be found at…
Sections 1 and 2 Section 1 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 provides the legal definition of domestic abuse.
It states that domestic abuse occurs when one person, aged 16 or over, behaves abusively towards another person who is also aged 16 or over, and the two are personally connected.
This definition is important because it establishes where behaviour falls within the scope of the Act.
The Act makes it clear that abuse is not limited to physical violence.
Abusive behaviour includes physical or sexual abuse, violent or threatening behaviour, controlling or coercive behaviour, economic abuse and psychological, emotional as well as other forms of abuse.
It also confirms that a single incident can amount to domestic violence.
meaning that there does not need to be a repeated pattern of behaviour for the Act to apply.
Furthermore, Section 1 also introduces the concept of economic abuse.
This is behaviour that has a substantial adverse effect on a person's ability to acquire, use or maintain money or other property, or to obtain goods or services.
Examples of this may include preventing a partner from assessing their bank account, controlling their income, or deliberately restricting their ability to meet their everyday needs.
Another important point is that abusive behaviour can still be considered as being directed towards a victim even where the conduct is aimed at someone else, such as their child.
For example, threatening or abusing a child in order to control or intimidate a partner would still amount to domestic abuse towards their partner under the Act.
Section 2 explains what is meant by two people being personally connected.
This includes people who are or were married or civil partners, those who are or were in an intimate personal relationship and people who have agreed to marry or enter into a civil partnership, parents who share responsibility for the same child and relatives.
These relationships determine whether the behaviour can be classified as domestic abuse under the Act.
and together with Section 1 form the foundation for understanding how domestic abuse is defined in English and Welsh law.
Sections 1 and 2 Section 1 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 provides the legal definition of domestic abuse.
It states that domestic abuse occurs when one person, aged 16 or over, behaves abusively towards another person who is also aged 16 or over, and the two are personally connected.
This definition is important because it establishes where behaviour falls within the scope of the Act.
The Act makes it clear that abuse is not limited to physical violence.
Abusive behaviour includes physical or sexual abuse, violent or threatening behaviour, controlling or coercive behaviour, economic abuse and psychological, emotional as well as other forms of abuse.
It also confirms that a single incident can amount to domestic violence.
meaning that there does not need to be a repeated pattern of behaviour for the Act to apply.
Furthermore, Section 1 also introduces the concept of economic abuse.
This is behaviour that has a substantial adverse effect on a person's ability to acquire, use or maintain money or other property, or to obtain goods or services.
Examples of this may include preventing a partner from assessing their bank account, controlling their income, or deliberately restricting their ability to meet their everyday needs.
Another important point is that abusive behaviour can still be considered as being directed towards a victim even where the conduct is aimed at someone else, such as their child.
For example, threatening or abusing a child in order to control or intimidate a partner would still amount to domestic abuse towards their partner under the Act.
Section 2 explains what is meant by two people being personally connected.
This includes people who are or were married or civil partners, those who are or were in an intimate personal relationship and people who have agreed to marry or enter into a civil partnership, parents who share responsibility for the same child and relatives.
These relationships determine whether the behaviour can be classified as domestic abuse under the Act.
and together with Section 1 form the foundation for understanding how domestic abuse is defined in English and Welsh law.
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