The number of arrests for suspected breaches of restraining orders in Northern Ireland has more than doubled in the past five years.
Figures released by the PSNI under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act show a steady year-on-year rise in people being detained for suspected breaches of the strict orders, which are issued by criminal court judges to protect victims from harassment or fear of violence.
The rise has prompted the head of a prominent victims charity to warn that such breaches can lead to a “loss of confidence in the criminal justice system”.
Handed out under the Protection from Harassment (Northern Ireland) Order 1997, restraining orders can be issued by judges in cases of harassment, stalking or other unwanted behaviour targeting a person.
Although mostly issued after a conviction, a criminal court judge can issue a restraining order against someone even if they are acquitted.
In response to a request by the Irish News, the PSNI has revealed a stark rise in arrests for suspected restraining order breaches since 2020.
That year saw a total of 114 arrests, while in 2025 the number of arrests across the north rose to 388.
In 2021 the number rose to 173, then to 226 in 2022. The following year there were 315 arrests, and in 2024 the annual total was 316.
The total for 2026 could be set to exceed last year’s 388, as the data shows that already between January and the end of June, there have been 214 arrests.
Details of the sharp rise in recent years have emerged amid a decline in police arresting people for suspected breaches of another court order also designed to protect those at risk of harassment.
Non-molestation orders (NMOs) are issued in domestic or family relationship cases where someone seeks to prevent being contacted by another person over fears of harassment or other harm.
NMOs are described as “critical tools” in protecting individuals by Northern Ireland’s Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime, Geraldine Hanna, and she spoke of concerns after the figures showed that more than 1,000 suspected NMO breaches did not lead to an arrest.
The commissioner has also warned that the number of NMOs being issued is falling despite cases of domestic abuse on the rise across NI.
2025 was the first year since 2020 when the number of arrests for suspected restraining order breaches exceeded those for suspected NMO breaches.
Between 2020 and 2025, the most restraining order breach arrests – 351 – occurred in the Belfast area, followed by Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon, where 216 arrests were made.
The area with the third highest arrest total is Derry and Strabane, with 205, while Causeway Coast and Glens had 118 arrests.
The area with the lowest number of arrests was Ards and North Down at 39.
The chief executive of charity Victim Support NI, Janice Bunting, told the Irish News that although it could be positive to see police taking more action over suspected breaches, the figures “remain concerning because every suspected breach represents a potential failure of an important protection put in place for victims”.
“A restraining order is a legal instrument and, therefore, any breach of a legal order must be taken seriously,” she said.
“We know first-hand from our work with victims that such breaches not only cause them anxiety but also lead to a loss of confidence in the criminal justice system that, through the use of this legal instrument, should protect them.”
Ms Bunting added: “Dealing with these breaches effectively early on sends a strong message not just to victims that breaching a restraining order is serious but also to offenders that such breaches will not be tolerated.”
SDLP East Derry MLA Cara Hunter said the figures were “deeply concerning”.
“Restraining orders are put in place to protect people who have already experienced threatening or harmful behaviour and anyone subject to one must understand that breaching it will have serious consequences,” she said.
“We also need to understand what is driving this increase, who is impacted and whether more can be done across our justice system to prevent repeat offending and ensure victims receive the protection and support they need. We know that restraining orders are key in helping victims flee domestic abuse and are an important part of tackling violence against women and girls.”
In 2022, the north saw another powerful legal tool aimed at protecting people from harassment introduced under legislation brought by justice minister Naomi Long, Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs).
These can be issued by a court after an application by police against a suspected stalker, even without a criminal conviction.