People in Northern Ireland who meet a partner online are covered by different statutes from England, Wales and Scotland, a point this site’s guides to stalking law in England, Wales and Scotland and to checking a partner’s history leave outside their scope. This guide summarises the Protection from Stalking Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021, the Protection from Harassment (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 and the Family Homes and Domestic Violence (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 as shown on legislation.gov.uk on 9 October 2026, with Department of Justice and nidirect pages. It applies to Northern Ireland only. It is general information, not legal advice.
The stalking offence
Section 1 of the 2022 Act, in operation since 27 April 2022, makes it an offence to engage in a course of conduct that causes another person fear, alarm or substantial distress, or that a reasonable person would consider likely to do so, where the person intends that effect or knows, or ought to have known, that it is likely. A course of conduct involves conduct on at least two occasions, and “substantial distress” means distress with a substantial adverse effect on day-to-day activities.
The conduct listed includes following, contacting or trying to contact a person by any means, publishing material about them or purporting to come from them, monitoring their internet, email or other electronic communication, entering premises, loitering, interfering with property, leaving things for them, and watching or spying. Reasonable conduct, preventing or detecting crime and authorised conduct are defences. The maximum penalty is 10 years on conviction on indictment, or 12 months on summary conviction. Section 2 separately makes threatening or abusive behaviour likely to cause fear or alarm an offence, even as a single act.
Stalking protection orders
Under sections 7 and 8, the Chief Constable can apply to a court of summary jurisdiction for a stalking protection order where it appears that a person has carried out acts associated with stalking, poses a risk, and the order is necessary to protect someone. The order can prohibit or require things. Section 9 says that prohibitions or requirements last for a fixed period of at least 2 years or until further order. Breaching an order without reasonable excuse is an offence under section 13, with up to 5 years on conviction on indictment. Notification requirements also apply.
The domestic abuse offence and dating relationships
The 2021 Act created the domestic abuse offence, in operation from 21 February 2022. It applies where a person engages in a course of abusive behaviour towards someone to whom they are “personally connected”. Section 5 includes people who are or have been married, civil partners or living together as if spouses, and also people who are, or have been, “otherwise in an intimate personal relationship with each other”. A dating relationship can therefore count without any shared home.
Behaviour is abusive if it is violent or threatening, or has the purpose or likely effect of making the person dependent or subordinate, isolating them from friends or family, controlling or monitoring their day-to-day activities, restricting their freedom of action or making them feel frightened, humiliated, degraded, punished or intimidated. It can be directed through money or property or through a third party, and a course needs at least two occasions. The test is that a reasonable person would consider it likely to cause physical or psychological harm, and the person intends that or is reckless. Reasonableness is a defence. The maximum penalty is 12 months on summary conviction or 14 years on indictment.
Civil orders: who counts as “associated”
The Department of Justice says a victim can apply to the court for a non-molestation order to protect them or a relevant child from being harassed, pestered, intimidated or threatened, and that an occupation order can restrict an offender from entering or living in the home. Urgent applications can be made without notice. There is no court fee, although serving the summons may cost a fee.
These orders are made under the 1998 Order, which applies to “associated” persons. Article 3(3) lists those who are or have been married or civil partners, cohabitees or former cohabitees, people who live or have lived in the same household other than as employee, tenant, lodger or boarder, relatives, people who have agreed to marry or enter a civil partnership, parents of the same child and parties to the same family proceedings. It does not list a dating relationship on its own, unlike section 5 of the 2021 Act. A couple who never lived together or became engaged may therefore need other routes, and legal advice is needed to check.
Separately, Articles 3 and 4 of the Protection from Harassment Order 1997 prohibit harassment and make it an offence, and Article 6 covers putting people in fear of violence.
Support and checks
nidirect says that anyone worried that a partner has a history of domestic abuse can ask the police to check through the Domestic Violence and Abuse Disclosure Scheme, which is open to men and women in Northern Ireland. In an emergency, call 999. Helplines are listed in this site’s guide to domestic abuse helplines.
FAQs
Does the domestic abuse offence need a couple to have lived together?
No. Section 5 of the 2021 Act includes people who are or have been in an intimate personal relationship, and also those who lived together as if spouses.
The bottom line
In Northern Ireland, persistent unwanted contact from a match can be the offence of stalking, with stalking protection orders sought by the police, and abusive behaviour towards a current or former intimate partner, including a dating partner, can be the domestic abuse offence. The civil non-molestation route is tied to the “associated person” test in the 1998 Order, which does not list a dating relationship on its own. A solicitor or the police can advise which route fits; in an emergency, call 999.
Sources
- Protection from Stalking Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, sections 1, 2, 6 to 9 and 13 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021, sections 1 to 5, 12 to 14 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Family Homes and Domestic Violence (Northern Ireland) Order 1998, Article 3 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Protection from Harassment (Northern Ireland) Order 1997, Articles 3, 4 and 6 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Applying for a Non Molestation / Occupation Order, Department of Justice (justice-ni.gov.uk)
- Still Abuse, nidirect (nidirect.gov.uk)