Anti-stalking laws and the Protection from Harassment Act 1997

Abstract

The rise in public concern regarding stalking during the course of the 1990s led to the introduction of anti-stalking statutes around the world. Experience showed that the early laws were deficient and as legislation spread, so the laws evolved to take these deficiencies into account. Meanwhile, in the UK, cases were dealt with under existing provisions, but as case-law in this area developed and more cases came to court the introduction of an anti-stalking statute became inevitable. The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 was widely drafted to deal with stalkers and other forms of harassment. The effectiveness of the Act, now four years old, has been reviewed, and a number of problems highlighted. The Act would be more effective if it was used by police, prosecutors and the courts more consistently. A programme of widespread dissemination of the provisions within the Act is now called for.