Part 3: Powers for dealing with domestic abuse Section 31: Domestic abuse protection orders otherwise than on application
This section enables a family court, criminal court or (in prescribed circumstances) county court to make a DAPO during ongoing proceedings where, in the course of such proceedings, the court becomes aware of the need to protect a person from domestic abuse. In the case of criminal proceedings in a magistrates’ court or the Crown Court, it is open to the court to make a DAPO on the conviction or acquittal of the accused.
	There are a wide range of civil proceedings which may be considered by the county courts, including for example, property and housing disputes. Given the wide range of proceedings and the probability that, in the majority of civil proceedings, allegations of domestic abuse may not be raised, subsection (7) restricts the type of civil proceedings in relation to which the county court could make a DAPO to those that are prescribed in regulations made by the Secretary of State (subject to the negative procedure). The Government’s intention is to specify only those types of proceedings where domestic abuse is most likely to be alleged or revealed in evidence.