Commentary on Sections Section 6 to 17 – Stalking Protection Orders Section 18 – Guidance on data collection
This section provides that the Department of Justice may issue guidance to relevant bodies about the sort of information which it seeks to obtain from them for the purpose of the assessment by it of the operation of the Act.
It also requires the Department of Justice to have regard to information which it obtains from the relevant bodies in relation to the operation of the Act when determining the steps (if any) that could be taken by it for the purpose of ensuring the effectiveness of the operation of legislation around the new offence of stalking to stalking protection orders or interim stalking protection orders.
The relevant bodies are the PSNI and the Public Prosecution Service.