Scottish police look set to be given powers to intervene in incidents of domestic violence, if necessary by removing suspected abusers from their homes.

With the number of domestic abuse and stalking charges in Scotland at their highest in four years, the Scottish Government is promising to introduce updated and tougher legislation. This will include new police powers including the prospect of immediate ejection and subsequent application for temporary orders banning accused tenants and home owners from entering their homes.

A new Domestic Abuse Bill will be considered by the Scottish Parliament ‘within weeks’,  Scottish Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf has announced.

Humza said banning abusers from shared homes would give victims time to decide their best options for the future.

If passed as intended, the new legislation would also make it easier for social landlords to transfer tenancies of married couples, or those living together, from the name of a domestic abuser to that of the victim.

 ‘The Covid-19 pandemic has shone a light on the vulnerabilities of some people in our communities – not least those who endure domestic abuse, whether physical, psychological or coercive, controlling behaviour’, said Yousaf.

‘The Scottish Government is taking firm action to tackle this wicked blight, which scars the lives of too many families and diminishes our communities’.

‘This Domestic Abuse Bill is important because it lifts the burden of action from those already suffering or at risk from abuse by giving greater powers to police to intervene where necessary’.