In his leadership capacity as the Head of Family Justice, the President of the Family Division regularly issues guidance aimed at judiciary and practitioners within the family justice system, in order to promote consistent and effective practice in family proceedings. Revised guidance on applications for Non-Molestation Orders, has been issued and came into force on 12 January 2026.

While it is for the Family Procedure Rule Committee to determine which projects it undertakes, it is the Department’s understanding that the Committee has no plans currently to formalise the President's guidance as a Practice Direction. The guidance will be applied alongside existing rules and Practice Directions relating to Non-Molestation Orders.

HMCTS does not centrally hold data on Non-Molestation Order applications made under Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996 that are resolved by undertaking. This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

In his leadership capacity as the Head of Family Justice, the President of the Family Division regularly issues guidance aimed at judiciary and practitioners within the family justice system, in order to promote consistent and effective practice in family proceedings. Revised guidance on applications for Non-Molestation Orders, has been issued and came into force on 12 January 2026.

While it is for the Family Procedure Rule Committee to determine which projects it undertakes, it is the Department’s understanding that the Committee has no plans currently to formalise the President's guidance as a Practice Direction. The guidance will be applied alongside existing rules and Practice Directions relating to Non-Molestation Orders.

HMCTS does not centrally hold data on Non-Molestation Order applications made under Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996 that are resolved by undertaking. This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

It is incredibly important that victims of domestic abuse get the support they need to apply for protective orders. The Ministry of Justice funds FLOWS (Finding Legal Options for Women Survivors), a free and confidential service delivered by RCJ Advice, which helps survivors apply for a non-molestation order in the family court. Legal aid is also available to eligible victims of domestic abuse for the new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs) currently piloted in selected areas, and for non-molestation orders.

It is equally important that victims of domestic abuse receive emotional and practical support to recover from abuse and rebuild their lives. The 42 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales receive annual grant funding from the Ministry of Justice to commission local practical, emotional, and therapeutic support services for victims of all crime types. This includes ring-fenced funding for sexual violence and domestic abuse community-based services and Independent Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse Advisers.  In addition, the Home Office runs the Flexible Fund, administered by Women’s Aid Federation, which can offer financial support to victims in specific circumstances.

Two brave women from Maltby came to my most recent surgery. Each told me about the horrific physical and emotional abuse that they had suffered at the hands of their ex-partners. They also told me that the police had ignored non-molestation orders, which—as I know from my professional experience before I was called to the Bar—is far from uncommon. What steps will the Government take to ensure that any relevant court orders are given due force?

My hon. Friend makes an important point. There is a serious problem of injunctions, non-molestation orders and protection orders not being

treated properly. That is why we are introducing Raneem’s law, which includes stronger protection orders and specialists in 999 control rooms.

The Government has not made an assessment of the merits of requiring that non-molestation orders as result of domestic abuse should apply automatically to any children of the parent who has been abused and has no current plans to do so.

Non-molestation orders can be extended to protect relevant children where this is considered necessary. Section 1 of the Children Act 1989 requires that the child’s welfare shall be the court’s paramount consideration in all decisions made about them. An automatic provision, which would give no opportunity for this consideration, would risk undermining this principle.

As well as non-molestation orders, the family court can make a range of orders to protect children and further their best interests. These include section 8 orders under the Children Act 1989 including prohibited steps order, specific issues orders and child arrangement orders.

Information on the number of defendants prosecuted, convicted and sentenced at criminal courts for the offence ‘66.4 Breach of a non-molestation order’, on a principal offence basis, from 2010 to 2022 can be found in the Outcomes by Offence tool: 2022.

Geographical area presented in this data tool is by police force area, whereby ‘Greater Manchester’ can be filtered to. This data is not held or published by constituency specifically.

Non-molestation orders are civil orders made by the family court to protect victims and their children from the harms of domestic abuse and there is no time limit on the duration of an order.

Non-molestation orders can be made for a specified time or until a further order is made. As non-molestation orders have no statutory minimum or maximum time limit, the duration of each order is at the discretion of the court. The duration of each order will be determined by a number of factors, including, the risks of further domestic abuse, whether the order was made on notice or without notice to the respondent, and whether there has been a follow-up hearing (known as a return hearing).

In practice, these orders are often made for a period of 6-12 months, during which time the order can be varied (including to extend it) or discharged.

Non-molestation orders are civil orders made by the family court to protect victims and their children from the harm of domestic abuse. Breach of an order is a criminal offence. The police take breaches of such protective orders extremely seriously and have the necessary powers to arrest, investigate and commence criminal proceedings. Under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, the police can hold a suspect in detention for up to 96 hours depending on the seriousness of the case, or up to 14 days under the Terrorism Act, before being charged or can grant pre-charge bail if there are no grounds to keep a suspect in detention while the investigation continues. The police have further powers to remand the suspect in custody once charges are made, for example if there is a risk of further offences being committed by the suspect if released on bail before a court hearing.

In addition, the Government is bringing in reforms to the pre-charge bail regime through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which will allow for better protection for victims in all criminal cases, including violent and sexual offences. The reforms include the removal of the perceived presumption against use of pre-charge bail; new risk factors to be considered when making bail decisions; amending the timescales and authorisation levels for pre-charge bail, and a new duty to seek views from victims on bail conditions which relate to their safeguarding.

Legal aid is available to obtain an injunction to protect survivors of domestic violence. This is not subject to any upper means limit; applicants cannot be found financially ineligible for this form of support. Applications are subject to a merits test to assess their suitability for legal aid funding. Please note that volumes relate to applications for legal aid and not individual applicants; an individual may submit more than one application for public funding. Less than 1.4% of applications for legal aid for a non-molestation order were refused since 2010. Less than 7% of applications for an occupation order were refused since 2010.

Applications for legal aid for occupation orders and non-molestation orders:

Domestic abuse cases are amongst the highest priority work being dealt with by the courts. Non-molestation orders have been placed in the highest category of work in the magistrates’ and family courts, and they continue to be listed for urgent hearings despite the current restrictions. Domestic abuse cases will continue to be afforded a higher priority as public health restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic are adjusted.

Protecting victims of domestic abuse and robustly pursuing perpetrators remains a key policing priority during the pandemic and beyond. Where the police are dealing with breach of a non-molestation order, we expect them to engage with local IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advocate) and community-based services to ensure that the victim and their children receive appropriate specialist support throughout the criminal justice process.

Domestic abuse cases are amongst the highest priority work being dealt with by the courts. Non-molestation orders have been placed in the highest category of work in the magistrates’ and family courts, and they continue to be listed for urgent hearings despite the current restrictions. Domestic abuse cases will continue to be afforded a higher priority as public health restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic are adjusted.

Protecting victims of domestic abuse and robustly pursuing perpetrators remains a key policing priority during the pandemic and beyond. Where the police are dealing with breach of a non-molestation order, we expect them to engage with local IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advocate) and community-based services to ensure that the victim and their children receive appropriate specialist support throughout the criminal justice process.

HMCTS is working closely with the Judiciary and criminal justice agencies to ensure cases that need to be prioritised can be.

Domestic Violence Protection Orders and Non-Molestation orders have been placed in the highest category of work in the magistrates’ and family courts for urgent hearings.

The prioritisation of cases and trials is a judicial decision and the senior judiciary has issued the following guidance:

https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Note-on-Listing-Magistrates-SPJ-DSPJ-14.04.20-FINAL.pdf

Non-molestation orders are important civil orders designed to protect victims of domestic abuse. If the perpetrator breaches an order without reasonable excuse, they will have committed a criminal offence.

We are continuously working to improve the police response to domestic abuse, including recruiting 20,000 additional police officers, delivering more training on domestic abuse to frontline officers and investing in better equipment to strengthen evidence gathering.

The Domestic Abuse Bill, reintroduced on March 3^rd, also includes a provision for a new Domestic Abuse Protection Order, which will bring together the strongest elements of the existing protective order regime into a single comprehensive and flexible order.

Figures are based on the volume of applications made rather than the number of discrete individuals. One person may make more than one application for legal aid.

Applications for legal aid when requesting a non-molestation orders will only be rejected when a court is unlikely to grant an order, (for instance where other help and support is already in place), or where an applicant does not supply sufficient information.

Non-molestation orders are made by the court to protect individuals from the harm of domestic violence. They can, where necessary, extend to protect children.

Non-molestation applications are either made ‘without notice’ to the respondent, usually if the applicant is seeking immediate protection, or ‘on notice’ to the respondent. The number of non-molestation orders made in each of the last 9 calendar years is shown in table 1 below. The data covers England and Wales.

Table 1: Non-molestation orders made in England and Wales

We do not hold data on how many people have represented themselves when applying for an order.

Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunals Service publish a range of guidance on Gov.Uk including eligibility for obtaining orders, how to apply for an injunction if you've been the victim of domestic violence, how to apply for a non-molestation order and an occupation order and how to serve applications. Links to the guidance are below:

https://www.gov.uk/injunction-domestic-violence/eligibility-non-molestation

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/form-fl401-application-for-a-non-molestation-order-occupation-order

Figures are based on the volume of applications made rather than the number of discrete individuals. One person may make more than one application for legal aid.

Applications for legal aid when requesting a non-molestation orders will only be rejected when a court is unlikely to grant an order, for instance where other help and support is already in place.

Non-molestation orders are made by the court to protect individuals from the harm of domestic violence. They can, where necessary, extend to protect children.

Non-molestation applications are either made ‘without notice’ to the respondent, usually if the applicant is seeking immediate protection, or ‘on notice’ to the respondent. The number of non-molestation orders made in each of the last 9 calendar years is shown in table 1 below. The data covers England and Wales.

Table 1: Non-molestation orders made in England and Wales

We do not hold data on how many people have represented themselves when applying for an order.

Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunals Service publish a range of guidance on Gov.Uk including eligibility for obtaining orders, how to apply for an injunction if you've been the victim of domestic violence, how to apply for a non-molestation order and an occupation order and how to serve applications. Links to the guidance are below:

https://www.gov.uk/injunction-domestic-violence/eligibility-non-molestation

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/form-fl401-application-for-a-non-molestation-order-occupation-order

Non-molestation orders are made by the court to protect individuals from the harm of domestic violence. They can, where necessary, extend to protect children.

Non-molestation applications are either made ‘without notice’ to the respondent, usually if the applicant is seeking immediate protection, or ‘on notice’ to the respondent. The number of non-molestation orders made in each of the last 9 calendar years is shown in table 1 below. The data covers England and Wales.

Table 1: Non-molestation orders made in England and Wales

We do not hold data on how many people have represented themselves when applying for an order.

Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunals Service publish a range of guidance on Gov.Uk including eligibility for obtaining orders, how to apply for an injunction if you've been the victim of domestic violence, how to apply for a non-molestation order and an occupation order and how to serve applications. Links to the guidance are below:

https://www.gov.uk/injunction-domestic-violence/eligibility-non-molestation

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/form-fl401-application-for-a-non-molestation-order-occupation-order