To ask the Minister of Justice to detail any steps her Department will take to strengthen protection for victims, assessed as being at high risk of harm, while Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Orders are not yet in force.

I am acutely conscious of the heightened vulnerability of victims assessed as being at high risk of harm. Ensuring that strong and effective safeguards are in place for those individuals remains a central priority for me as Minister of Justice.

While Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Orders (DAPNs and DAPOs) are not yet operational, victims assessed as high risk continue to be protected through a well-established framework of civil and criminal measures. Existing provisions, including Non-Molestation Orders, Occupation Orders, Restraining Orders and the use of bail conditions, provide significant legal safeguards. Breach of these orders constitutes a criminal offence.

The domestic abuse offence introduced under the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021 has further strengthened the justice response to coercive and controlling behaviour. The Act also provides for specific statutory aggravators, including where children are involved, ensuring that the courts can reflect the full seriousness and impact of offending behaviour.

Where a victim is assessed as being at high risk of serious harm, their case will be referred into a structured multi-agency risk management process. Information is shared in a controlled and lawful manner to build a comprehensive picture of risk, and a coordinated safety plan is developed. This can include enhanced police monitoring, safety planning, emergency accommodation, safeguarding arrangements for children, and proactive engagement with the perpetrator where appropriate. Actions are tracked and reviewed to ensure that risk is being actively managed and reduced wherever possible. Additionally, my Department has been leading multi-agency work, both to strengthen and replace existing multi agency risk assessment conference arrangements. It is planned to implement a number of practical changes in the coming months and incrementally throughout 2026/27.

Anyone who is a victim of domestic abuse, or who has concerns about the safety of someone else, should report the matter to the PSNI, who can take immediate action to help protect those at risk.

Once introduced, DAPNs and DAPOs will provide an additional layer of protection, including enabling applications to be brought by the police, as currently proposed under plans for the two-year pilot, thereby helping to reduce the burden on victims. Until that time, victims assessed as being at high risk of harm continue to benefit from the range of protections already available, supported by coordinated multi-agency action and a strengthened legislative framework.