Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2021)

4.   Application for protection order

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   (1)   Application may be made to the court in accordance with Form 1 of the Schedule for a protection order prohibiting the respondent—

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      (a)     from entering or remaining in the household residence of a specified person;

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      (b)     from entering or remaining in a specified area where the household residence of a specified person is located;

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      (c)     from entering the place of work or education of a specified person;

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      (d)     from entering or remaining in any place where a specified person happens to be; or

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      (e)     from molesting a specified person by—

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         (i)     watching or besetting the specified person's household residence, place of work or education,

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         (ii)     following or waylaying the specified person in any place,

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         (iii)     making persistent telephone calls to a specified person, or

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         (iv)     using abusive language or behaving towards a specified person in any other manner which is of such nature and degree as to cause annoyance to, or result in ill-treatment of the specified person.

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   (2)   On hearing an application under subsection (1) the court may make a protection order if it is satisfied that—

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      (a)     the respondent has used or threatened to use, violence against, or caused physical, mental or emotional injury to a specified person and is likely to do so again; or

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      (b)     having regard to all the circumstances, the order is necessary for the protection of a specified person,

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   and the court may, if it thinks fit, attach a power of arrest to the order.

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   (3)   A protection order may be made on an ex parte application if the court is satisfied that the delay that would be caused by proceeding on notice would or might entail—

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      (a)     risk to the personal safety of a specified person; or

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      (b)     serious injury or undue hardship.

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   (4)   Any protection order made on an ex parte application shall be an interim order.

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   (5)   Where a protection order is granted on an ex parte application, the respondent may apply immediately for it to be discharged.