Written Question · S4W-18425 · Session 4
How many people have sought protection each year under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, broken down by (a) age and (b) gender, and …
The question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have sought protection each year under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, broken down by (a) age and (b) gender, and what proportion of cases have led to the court (i) awarding damages, (ii) granting an interdict or interim interdict and (iii) issuing a non-harassment order.
The answer
The available information is given in the following table.
Cases initiated and disposed for Non-harassment Orders
- Protection from Harassment Act 1997 s8.
Financial Year
Initiated
Disposed
Granted
2011-12
13
4
2
2010-11
3
1
0
2009-10
4
3
3
2008-09
4
8
3
This data relates to non-harassment orders raised in the civil courts under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 s8. This act was amended by the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2011 which came into effect in July 2011. It is possible that this has led to the rise in the number of non-harassment orders initiated in 2011-12.
These statistics relate to the “principal crave” only. An individual case can involve a number of different case types. The case type which is listed first on the writ/summons is normally known as the “principal crave”. More information about this, and other explanations about the data, can be found in sections 11-13 of the latest publication, which can be accessed at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2012/12/9263.
The number of ordinary and summary cause cases disposed of may be an underestimate. In addition, around a fifth of ordinary cause cases are sisted (suspended).
Cases may be initiated and disposed in different years, so the statistics for initiated and disposed for a particular year do not necessarily represent the same cases.
Data prior to 2008-09 is not available.
The data in the table above relate to the number cases and may not necessarily equal the number of people seeking an order.
Information on the age or sex of the people involved is not held centrally. The data held on damages and interdicts does not specifically identify cases relating to protection from harassment.
Cases initiated and disposed for Non-harassment Orders
- Protection from Harassment Act 1997 s8.
Financial Year
Initiated
Disposed
Granted
2011-12
13
4
2
2010-11
3
1
0
2009-10
4
3
3
2008-09
4
8
3
This data relates to non-harassment orders raised in the civil courts under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 s8. This act was amended by the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2011 which came into effect in July 2011. It is possible that this has led to the rise in the number of non-harassment orders initiated in 2011-12.
These statistics relate to the “principal crave” only. An individual case can involve a number of different case types. The case type which is listed first on the writ/summons is normally known as the “principal crave”. More information about this, and other explanations about the data, can be found in sections 11-13 of the latest publication, which can be accessed at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2012/12/9263.
The number of ordinary and summary cause cases disposed of may be an underestimate. In addition, around a fifth of ordinary cause cases are sisted (suspended).
Cases may be initiated and disposed in different years, so the statistics for initiated and disposed for a particular year do not necessarily represent the same cases.
Data prior to 2008-09 is not available.
The data in the table above relate to the number cases and may not necessarily equal the number of people seeking an order.
Information on the age or sex of the people involved is not held centrally. The data held on damages and interdicts does not specifically identify cases relating to protection from harassment.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S4W-18425 by reference.