The Lords Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Committee will hold two
evidence sessions that will focus on domestic abuse and the
experiences of minorities and cross sectional groups. The
witnesses represent minoritised victims and survivors, the LGBT+
community, male victims and survivors, disabled victims and
survivors, and elder victims and survivors.
The first session will start at 10.35am and the second
session will follow at 11.40am. Both sessions will be available
to watch live or on demand at Parliament
TV or can be attended in person in
Committee Room 4, Palace
of Westminster.
Giving evidence will be:
10.35am
-
Dr Mohammad Mazher Idriss, Senior Lecturer in
Law, Manchester Metropolitan University;
-
Dr Hannana Siddiqui OBE, Director of Policy,
Campaigns and Research, Southall Black Sisters; and
-
Ghadah Alnasseri, Executive Director at
Imkaan.
11.40am
-
Angie Airlie, CEO, Stay Safe East;
-
Bridget Symonds, Director of Services, Galop;
-
OBE, Chair, the
Mankind Initiative; and
-
, CEO,
Hourglass.
Questions will include:
- When the Domestic Abuse Act was introduced in 2021 what were
your main hopes or expectations for how it might perform for the
community you support? Has it lived up to this? If not, why and
what could be done to meet those hopes now?
- The Act sets out a definition of ‘domestic abuse', including
financial and emotional abuse as well as a definition of how
people are ‘personally connected'. How effectively do these
definitions operate for the community you represent and work
with?
- How well do you think the police and courts have implemented
the provisions in the Act? For example, prosecuting coercive and
controlling behaviour, and applying special measures in the
courts.
- The Act places duties on local authorities to provide
accommodation-based support to domestic abuse victims and their
children in refuges. How well have these served the specific
needs of the community you work with? What, if anything, could be
done to improve this provision?
- What would you consider to be the most pressing domestic
abuse issue not already raised that is currently of concern for
the community that you advocate for/support?
