ABSTRACT
In 1995 the government introduced the ill-fated Family Homes and Domestic Violence Bill. The original Bill was intended to replace the hotchpot of enactments of limited scope. In 1996, the government introduced the Family Law Bill. This Bill was more far-reaching than its predecessor. The Family Law Act (FLA) 1996, which received Royal Assent on 4 July 1996, attempts to deal with a whole range of family matters, one of which is protection for the victims of domestic violence. The provisions are intended to come into force in October 1997. The provisions relating to domestic violence are contained in Part IV of the FLA 1996, which is entitled Family Homes and Domestic Violence. Sections 3032 re-enact, to a large extent, the provisions of the Matrimonial Homes Act (MHA) 1983, the rest of Part IV providing specifically for victims of domestic violence.
