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Section 3: Civil remedy.

Protection from Harassment Act 1997 · 1997 c. 40View on legislation.gov.uk

An actual or apprehended breach of section 1(1) may be the subject of a claim in civil proceedings by the person who is or may be the victim of the course of conduct in question.

On such a claim, damages may be awarded for (among other things) any anxiety caused by the harassment and any financial loss resulting from the harassment.

Where—

in such proceedings the High Court or the county court grants an injunction for the purpose of restraining the defendant from pursuing any conduct which amounts to harassment, and
the plaintiff considers that the defendant has done anything which he is prohibited from doing by the injunction,

the plaintiff may apply for the issue of a warrant for the arrest of the defendant.

An application under subsection (3) may be made—

where the injunction was granted by the High Court, to a judge of that court, and
where the injunction was granted by the county court, to a judge of that court.

The judge ... to whom an application under subsection (3) is made may only issue a warrant if—

the application is substantiated on oath, and
the judge ... has reasonable grounds for believing that the defendant has done anything which he is prohibited from doing by the injunction.

Where—

the High Court or the county court grants an injunction for the purpose mentioned in subsection (3)(a), and
without reasonable excuse the defendant does anything which he is prohibited from doing by the injunction,

he is guilty of an offence.

Where a person is convicted of an offence under subsection (6) in respect of any conduct, that conduct is not punishable as a contempt of court.

A person cannot be convicted of an offence under subsection (6) in respect of any conduct which has been punished as a contempt of court.

A person guilty of an offence under subsection (6) is liable—

on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or a fine, or both, or
on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or both.

About this text

This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.