Domestic Violence Act

The 2018 Act consolidates the law on domestic violence. It provides for safety orders (Section 6), protection orders (Section 10), barring orders (Sections 8-9), and care or supervision orders (Section 12), which a court may issue based on all factors or circumstances it deems relevant, including the Act’s 19 enumerated factors (Section 5). The Act penalizes a contravention of an order with a class B fine (up to €4,000), imprisonment of a term not exceeding 12 months, or both. It also prohibits forced marriage (Section 38) and coercive control (Section 39) that has a serious effect on a relevant person (creating a fear of violence or serious alarm or distress that has a substantial adverse impact on a person’s day-to-day activities). The sentencing range for forced marriage is one to seven years, depending on the type of conviction. The sentencing range for coercive control is one to five years, depending on the type of conviction.