The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Commencement No. 6, 8 and 9 and Saving Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

Made: 20th November 2025

Coming into force: 21st November 2025

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 86(1) and 90(6), (7), (8) and (9) of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021[^f00001].

Citation, commencement and extent

1

• (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Commencement No. 6, 8 and 9 and Saving Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2025.

• (2) These Regulations come into force on the day after the day on which they are made.

• (3) These Regulations extend to England and Wales.

Amendment to the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Commencement No. 6 and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2024

2

In regulation 1(2)(g) of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Commencement No. 6 and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2024[^f00002], for “26 November 2025” substitute “31 March 2026”.

Amendment to the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Commencement No. 8 and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2025

3

In regulation 1(2)(f) of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Commencement No. 8 and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2025[^f00003], for “26th November 2025” substitute “31st March 2026”.

Amendments to the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Commencement No. 9 and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2025

4

• (1) The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Commencement No. 9 and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2025[^f00004] are amended as follows.

• (2) In regulation 1(3)(f), for “26th November 2025” substitute “31st March 2026”.

• (3) For regulation 3(1), substitute—

(1) Where immediately before the end of the specified period— (a) a DAPN is in effect, (b) an application for leave to apply for a DAPO has been made and is yet to be determined, (c) an application for leave to apply for a DAPO has been granted, but an application for a DAPO is yet to be made, (d) an application for a DAPO has been made and is yet to be determined, (e) proceedings, as specified in section 31, have been issued and are yet to be concluded, (f) a DAPO is in effect, (g) an application for permission to appeal a decision of a court, on an application for a DAPO or in relation to a DAPO, has been made and is yet to be finally determined, (h) an appeal has been made against a decision of a court, on an application for a DAPO or in relation to a DAPO, and is yet to be finally determined, (i) following an appeal on an application for a DAPO or in relation to a DAPO, the matter has been referred back to the court with a direction to reconsider and make a new decision, and those proceedings are yet to be determined, or (j) an application for a DAPO, or for leave to apply for a DAPO, has been refused, the refusal is not yet subject to appeal, but the time period for taking one of the steps in sub-paragraph (g) or (h) has not yet elapsed, Part 3, except section 55, continues to have effect in the relevant areas for such of the purposes set out in paragraph (2) as may be relevant.

• (4) For regulation 3(2), substitute—

(2) The purposes referred to in paragraph (1) are— (a) the enforcement of a DAPN, (b) an application for leave to apply for a DAPO, (c) an application for a DAPO, (d) the making of a DAPO, (e) the enforcement of a DAPO, (f) the variation of a DAPO, (g) the discharge of a DAPO, (h) an application for permission to appeal a decision of a court, on an application for a DAPO or in relation to a DAPO, and (i) an appeal against a decision of a court, on an application for a DAPO or in relation to a DAPO.

• (5) In regulation 3(3)—

• (a) in the opening words, for the words from “in relation” to “Part 3”, substitute “in respect of a DAPN or DAPO given or made, or any other decision of a court made on an application for or in relation to a DAPO, under Part 3”;

• (b) in sub-paragraph (a), for “26th November 2025” substitute “31st March 2026”.

• (6) After regulation 3(4), insert—

(5) In paragraphs (1)(g) and (h), an application for permission to appeal or an appeal is finally determined if it is decided and all routes of further appeal have been exhausted.

Signed

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Justice

Alex Davies-Jones — Parliamentary Under Secretary of State — Ministry of Justice — 20th November 2025

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Explanatory Note

These Regulations amend the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Commencement No. 6 and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/1191 (C. 76)) (“the No. 6 Regulations”), the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Commencement No. 8 and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/319 (C. 10)) (“the No. 8 Regulations”) and the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Commencement No. 9 and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/515 (C. 22)) (“the No. 9 Regulations”).

The No. 6, No. 8 and No. 9 Regulations brought Part 3 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (c. 17) (“the Act”), except for section 55, into force for specified areas of England and Wales. These provisions were commenced on a piloted basis, for specified periods of time ending with 26th November 2025.

Regulations 2, 3 and 4 of these Regulations amend the No. 6, No. 8 and No. 9 Regulations so that Part 3 of the Act, as commenced by those instruments, continues to be in force in those areas until 31st March 2026.

Regulation 4 of these Regulations further amends the saving provisions made by regulation 3 of the No. 9 Regulations, by clarifying the points at which Part 3 of the Act, except section 55, will continue to have effect once the pilot ends. This includes the case where an appeal has been made against a court’s decision not to make a domestic abuse protection order before the end of the pilot, and the appeal is yet to be determined. Further amendments clarify that the saving provision made by the amended regulation 3(1) of the No. 9 Regulations applies for all of the purposes set out in the amended regulation 3(2) as may be relevant to the particular case in question. These amendments also correct defects in the saving provisions made by the No. 9 Regulations identified by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments in its twenty-seventh report of Session 2024-25.

An impact assessment has not been published for these Regulations as no significant impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen arising from the provisions these Regulations amend. An impact assessment has been published in relation to the Act which does consider the impact of domestic abuse protection orders and copies can be obtained from the Ministry of Justice, 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9AJ, or from this website: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1007463/DA_Act_2021_Impact_Assessment.pdf.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2021 c. 17.

[^f00002]: S.I. 2024/1191 (C. 76), amended by S.I. 2025/515.

[^f00003]: S.I. 2025/319 (C. 10), amended by S.I. 2025/515.

[^f00004]: S.I. 2025/515 (C. 22).