Statistics on Cases Handled by Protection from Harassment Courts

Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Law (a) since the Protection from Harassment Act was amended in 2019, what is the number of cases handled by the Protection from Harassment Courts; (b) what is the breakdown between applications for protection orders and expedited protection orders and the outcomes for these applications; and (c) what is the average time between the filing of the application and the application being heard.

On 7 May 2019, amendments to the Protection from Harassment Act were passed by Parliament. The amendments enhance the existing protections given to victims of harassment.

From 8 May 2019 to 31 August 2020, the breakdown of applications for Protection Orders (POs) and Expedited Protection Orders (EPOs) is as follows.

During this period, the average time for a PO application to be heard was 9 days from filing. The average time for an EPO application to be heard was 4 days from filing.

The amendments also provide for a new Protection from Harassment Courts (PHC), which will have oversight over all criminal and civil matters under POHA.

The preparations for the PHC are in an advanced stage. The procedural rules and subsidiary legislation required to support the creation of the PHC are being drafted, and arrangements involving a few agencies are being put in place. Changes to several online court filing systems, including the introduction of a dedicated POHA module, are also being implemented. The Ministry will make an announcement when the PHC is ready.