11 March 2008
Forced marriage is an appalling and indefensible practice that the government is working hard to stop, Justice Minister Bridget Prentice said today.
Speaking at the Ethnic Minority Foundation Seminar in London, Bridget Prentice said the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act would go a long way to ensuring that young men and women, and children would not be forced into marriage against their will and those already in such marriages would receive protection.
She urged people to respond to an ongoing consultation about third party applications which considers who should be allowed to apply to courts for a Forced Marriage Protection Order on behalf of a victim who may be unable or afraid to go to court.
Ms Prentice said:
'Forced marriage is something that should not happen. Yet it does happen and we must all work hard to stop it.
'The Forced Marriage Act will provide protection for those at risk of forced marriage and will become a powerful tool for those trying to protect victims of forced marriage.
'Responses to our earlier consultation has told us that if forced marriage was criminalised it could be driven underground by the victims refusal to co-operate with the police.
'The Act offers civil remedies to those seeking protection, by enabling them to apply for a Forced Marriage Protection Order which allows the court to order the behaviour or conduct of those responsible to change or stop, or to impose requirements on them.
'As part of the process of bringing the Act into force, we are exploring how the Act should work in practice. One important aspect is how to enable orders to be made in circumstances when victims feel unable or unwilling to make an application themselves.
'This is why the current consultation on third party applications is so important and I welcome the discussion taking place on this issue at today's seminar.'
Notes to editors
1. The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 (the Act) received Royal Assent on 26 July 2007. The relevant third party consultation paper is published on the Ministry of Justice website.
2. Forced marriage is a marriage without the full and free consent of both parties. It is a form of domestic violence and an abuse of human rights. Forced marriages are not arranged marriages. In an arranged marriage the family will take the lead in arranging the match but the couples have a choice as to whether to proceed. In a forced marriage there is no choice.
3. The Act enables a victim or a relevant third party to make an application for a Forced Marriage Protection Order without the court's permission. Any other person may only apply if they obtain the court's permission first. A relevant third party is a person (or an organisation), specified by the Lord Chancellor, who may apply on behalf of another without obtaining the permission of the court.
4. The joint Foreign & Commonwealth Office/Home Office Forced Marriage Unit is 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. In the past two years, the Forced Marriage Unit has produced guidelines on tackling forced marriage for police, social services, health and education professionals, and is producing similar guidelines for registrars and legal professionals.
5. For further information contact Alia Syed at the Ministry of Justice Press Office on 0208 210 8695.