Domestic Abuse Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 10:30 am ar 16 Mehefin 2020.
Amendments made: 38, in clause 71, page 52, line 3, at end insert—
“() section 36(6A),”
This amendment is consequential on amendment 33.
Amendment 39, in clause 71, page 52, line 6, at end insert—
‘( ) Section 36(6A) and this subsection (and sections 67 to 69, 72 and 73, so far as relating to those provisions) extend to—
(a) the Isle of Man, and
(b) the British overseas territories except Gibraltar;
and the power under section 384(2) of the Armed Forces Act 2006 may be exercised so as to modify section36 (6A) as it extends to the Isle of Man or a British overseas territory other than Gibraltar.
( ) The power under section 384(1) of the Armed Forces Act 2006 may be exercised so as to extend section 36(6A) of this Act to any of the Channel Islands (with or without modifications).”
This amendment is consequential on amendment 33.
Understandably, questions have been asked about the territorial extent of the Bill, so I think it right to explain it. This is a standard clause setting out the territorial extent of the provisions in the Bill, the majority of which apply to England and Wales, or to England only. Following discussions with the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Department of Justice, the Bill also includes some limited provisions that apply to Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Part 6 of the Bill extends the extraterritorial reach of the criminal courts in each of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, to cover further violent and sexual offences. The provisions are a necessary precursor to enable the United Kingdom as a whole to ratify the Istanbul convention, as they will ensure that the law in each part of the UK meets the requirements of article 44.