The Domestic Abuse Bill enshrines in law the office of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales. The Commissioner will be tasked with encouraging good practice in preventing domestic abuse; identifying victims and survivors, and perpetrators of domestic abuse, as well as children who are affected; and improving the protection and provision of support to people affected by domestic abuse. Part 2 of the Bill provides the Commissioner with powers to publish reports and lay them before Parliament; these reports will hold local commissioners, statutory agencies and national government to account and make recommendations on how they can improve their response. Specified public bodies will be under a duty to cooperate with the Commissioner, and they and government Ministers will be required to respond to each recommendation made to them within 56 days. Nicole Jacobs was appointed as the designate Domestic Abuse Commissioner in September 2019.
