Domestic Abuse
Guidance
Family Justice Council Best Practice Guidance for Practitioners on Making an Application for a Protective Injunction Under the Family Law Act 1996
In tandem with the publication of the President of the Family Division’s Guidance 2026: Non-Molestation Orders under the Family Law Act 1996, the FJC has produced Best Practice Guidance for Practitioners on Making an Application for a Protective Injunction Under the Family Law Act 1996 (PDF), which includes a Model Witness Statement with guidance notes at Annex 1.
The President of the Family Division and Chair of the Family Justice Council noted that “I am grateful to the Family Justice Council for producing a comprehensive and helpful companion guide for practitioners. It provides a clear framework to strengthen the quality and consistency of protective injunction applications.
“I encourage judges, magistrates, legal advisers and legal practitioners across the Family Justice System to read both sets of guidance in full to ensure best practice is embedded and is applied consistently throughout England and Wales.”
The PFD Guidance 2026 can be found on the judicial website: The PFD’s Guidance 2026: Non-Molestation Orders under the Family Law Act 1996, and the FJC’s Best Practice Guidance for Practitioners on Making an application for a Protective Injunction under the Family Law Act 1996.
The Domestic Abuse Working Group has updated the Mapping the Landscape of Domestic Abuse Activity in the Family Justice System [February 2025] (PDF).
The previous version of the mapping the landscape document can be found here: Mapping the Landscape of Domestic Abuse Activity in the Family Justice System [January 2024]
Special thanks to Professor Rosemary Hunter for leading this piece of work. This document will be reviewed and updated every six months.
Safety from Domestic Abuse and Special Measures in Remote and Hybrid Hearings – guidance published
The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, has published the Safety from Domestic Abuse and Special Measures in Remote and Hybrid Hearings guidance.
MARACs and disclosure into court proceedings (PDF)
Multi-agency risk assessment conferences (MARACs) are a recent development in addressing the highest risk cases of domestic abuse.