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Section 64: Special measures in civil proceedings: victims of domestic abuse etc

Domestic Abuse Act 2021 · 2021 c. 17View on legislation.gov.uk

Part 5: Protection for victims, witnesses, etc in legal proceedings

Rules of court must make provision enabling the court to make a special measures direction in relation to a person who is a party or witness in civil proceedings where that person—

is, or is at risk of being, a victim of domestic abuse;
is the victim, or alleged victim, of a specified offence.

Rules made by virtue of subsection (1) must, in particular, provide for the court to consider—

whether—
the quality of the person's evidence, or
where the person is a party to the proceedings, the person's participation in the proceedings,

is likely to be diminished by reason of vulnerability, and

if so, whether it is necessary to make one or more special measures directions.

For the purposes of this section—

a person is the victim of a specified offence if another person has been convicted of, or given a caution for, the offence;
a person is the alleged victim of a specified offence if another person has been charged with the offence.

In this section—

  • “civil proceedings” means—

    (a)proceedings in the county court,

    (b)proceedings in the High Court, other than—

    (c)proceedings in the civil division of the Court of Appeal;

  • “special measures” means such measures as may be specified by rules of court for the purpose of assisting a person to give evidence or participate in proceedings;

  • “special measures direction” means a direction by the court granting special measures;

  • “specified offence” means an offence which is specified, or of a description specified, in regulations made by the Lord Chancellor.

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.