Stalking Protection Act 2019

The Stalking Protection Act 2019 grants police the power to apply to Magistrates’ Courts for a new civil Stalking Protection Order (SPO). This act enables early pre-conviction intervention from police to address stalking behaviours that escalate or become entrenched by placing restrictions and/or positive requirements on perpetrators by introducing six criminal offences: (1) breach of a (full or interim) SPO without reasonable excuse, (2) failure without reasonable excuse to notify the police of their details within three days of being served with a (full or interim) SPO, (3) failure without reasonable excuse to notify the police of a name change within three days of beginning to use that name, (4) failure without reasonable excuse to notify the police of a new address within three days of moving there, (5) failure to comply with the request of a police officer or other authorised person to provide their fingerprints, photograph or both, (6) providing information related to the notification requirements which they know to be false.

Topics

• Sexual harassment
• Stalking

Geographical location

• Europe
• United Kingdom and Northern Ireland

Keywords

• criminal law and procedure
• protection orders
• duty to protect

Year

• 2019

External URL

• Stalking Protection Act 2019

Type

• Legislation

Jurisdiction

• United Kingdom and Northern Ireland