You are not protected by a restraining order until the defendant has received a copy of the order. Although the police assign a high priority to the serving of restraining orders, in the majority of cases it may take several days for the defendant to receive the copy of the order.

The police will tell you when the restraining order has been served, however, if you are worried you can contact your local police station at any time.

You will need to provide your full name, date of birth and the relating court file number at the time of your enquiry.

What is a restraining order?

A restraining order is a court order which forbids a person (the defendant) from behaving towards you (the complainant) in ways which may harass, threaten or abuse you or which may be violent. The other person may be ordered not to do various things, such as not to come to your home, not to go to your children's school, not to follow or watch you, or not to send messages to you. An order is made specifically for you and your situation.

It is an offence for the person to do any of the things the order says they must not do. This is called 'breaching' the order. You should tell the police if the person does any of those things.

Restraining Order information brochure

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