Submitted by Ellen Trickey on Sunday 11th January 2026
Published on Monday 16th February 2026
Current status: Open
Open until: Sunday 16th August 2026
Current Signatures: 32
(count is updated approximately hourly)
Relevant Departments
Tagged with
abuse ~ Access ~ court system ~ Courts ~ Domestic ~ Domestic abuse ~ Expected ~ Forced ~ fund ~ Legal Aid ~ Mandatory ~ Protecting ~ Reported ~ Represent ~ risk ~ Safety ~ Survivors ~ system ~ tier ~ tier system ~ Traumatised ~ Victim
Fund legal aid for all applicants for NMO and Occupation Orders
Many victims who need mandatory protective orders are expected to pay substantial legal fees, or navigate a complex legal system alone unaided while traumatised. This creates a 2 tier system of access to safety, where protection depends on income rather than risk.
A report has found domestic abuse features in 90% of cases before the family court. Some survivors seeking non-molestation or occupation orders are forced to represent themselves facing:
Complex legal rules and high legal fees to obtain necessary protection
Lengthy, stressful, and often retraumatising proceedings
This not only harms survivors but also places strain on an already overstretched court system.
If you want to sign this petition (as opposed to merely discuss it), you need to do that on the government's e-Petitions website.
216.73.217.17 Wed, 24 Jun 2026 18:33:27 +0100
