Part 2: Prevention, investigation and prosecution of crime Chapter 4: Other provisions Section 49: Time limit for prosecution of common assault or battery in domestic abuse cases
Section 49 inserts a new section 39A into the Criminal Justice Act 1988 to extend the time limit to bring a prosecution for common assault or battery where the alleged behaviour amounts to domestic abuse as defined in section 1 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
	Under new section 39A(2) to (4), the time limit to commence a prosecution is extended to any time which is both within six months of an offence being formally reported to the police through either a witness statement made with a view to its possible use as evidence in proceedings or a video recording made with a view to its possible use as evidence in chief, and within two years of the alleged offence occurring. The current time limit of six months from the date of the offence, set out in section 127 of the 1980 Act, is disapplied by new section 39A(5)
	New section 39A(7) provides that this provision does not have retrospective effect, and that it will not apply in relation to offences alleged to have been committed before the section is commenced.