Scotland’s police and courts could get powers to remove suspected domestic abusers from victims’ homes under new Scottish Government proposals.

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf announced that the Domestic Abuse Bill will be considered by parliament “within weeks” and, if passed, would allow police to ban suspected abusers from entering a property for a short period.

Officers could then apply to the courts for a longer-term protective order preventing the return of the suspected abuser for up to two months.

The Justice Secretary argued the plans would give victims “vital breathing space, free from an abuser’s coercion and control, to decide the best future option for them”, in addition to specialist support if required.

The proposed legislation, announced in last week’s Programme for Government, also aims to make it easier for social landlords to transfer tenancy of a property from the perpetrator to the victim of domestic abuse if they have been married or lived together.

And Glasgow Caledonian University will do research into victims of coercive control and stalking, and their experiences of the justice system.