Ministry of Justice
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Autumn date for Forced Marriages Law
A law that protects victims and potential victims of forced marriage will come into effect next autumn, Justice Minister Bridget Prentice said today.
The new law will enable courts to make orders to prevent forced marriages and to order the behavior or conduct of those responsible for forcing another into marriage to change or stop or to impose requirements on them. It also provides recourse for those already forced into marriage. Failure to comply could lead to imprisonment.
In her speech to the Women's Issues Network White Ribbon Conference Ms Prentice also talked about the Ministry of Justice domestic violence policy for staff experiencing domestic abuse.
Ms Prentice outlined the support that staff in the Ministry of Justice have access to Support from trained counselors can be arranged, moves can be facilitated and financial support can be considered.
The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 gives the courts a wide discretion to deal flexibly and sensitively with the circumstances of each individual case. It employs civil remedies that offer protection to victims without criminalizing members of their family.
The first phase of implementation of the Act will enable people to apply for an order at specified county courts, rather than just the high courts Bridget Prentice said:
"I am pleased that the Forced Marriage Act is to be implemented. The Act protects people from being denied their fundamental right to choose the person they want to marry and gives those in such a situation the power to move away."
"Victims of forced marriage are often unable to protect themselves and the Act enables others to apply to court for protection on the victim's behalf."
"We will ask the public how we can adapt our court administration to meet the needs of those who use the Act"
The Ministry of Justice's Domestic Violence policy ensures that staff have a resource they can turn to when they need it.
Bridget Prentice also said:
"Domestic violence deeply affects victims and transcends gender, race, class, age and sexuality. It accounts for 25 per cent of all violent crime and a third of all homicides.
"Sunday 25 November was white ribbon day. The ribbon is a symbol of hope and is a personal pledge to challenge the acceptability of domestic violence.
"Our policies reinforce that hope and also sends a clear message to victims of domestic violence that the Ministry of Justice is committed to providing support and will encourage victims to come forward to ask for help and warn perpetrators that we will not tolerate violence of any kind."
Notes to Editors
1. The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act can be viewed at http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2007/20070020.htm
2. The joint FCO/Home Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) was launched in January 2005 as the UK's "one stop shop" for developing Government policy on forced marriage, co-ordinating outreach projects and providing support and information to those at risk. The Unit handles approximately 250-300 cases per year, 15% of which involve men.
3. Although the FMU sees cases from around the world-including East Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe-the majority are from South Asia. Approximately 65% of cases are in families of Pakistani origin and 25% are in families of Bangladeshi origin. Around a third of cases the FMU deals with are children, some as young as 13. The Unit also assists reluctant sponsors-those forced into marriage and subsequently forced to sponsor a visa application-and has dealt with over 100 cases since May 2006.
4. The new Ministry of Justice domestic violence policy was released on Monday 26 November. It is for MoJ staff from the former DCA. MoJ staff from the Home Office and the Prison Service are already covered by existing policies and have their own dedicated supporting procedures.
5. The Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and the Crown Prosecution Service National Steering Group oversee 64 specialist domestic violence courts in England and Wales. The courts have led to improvements in victim safety and satisfaction, reducing delays and improving evidence gathering.
