Tower Hamlets Liberal Democrats against Forced Marriage

12.05.36am UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 25th Feb 2007

Cllr Stephanie Eaton, Lord Lester, Sapnara Khatun, Cllr Shiria Khatun

A group of Tower Hamlets women today met the Liberal Democrat Peer Lord Anthony Lester at the Jagonari Centre to discuss the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Bill. Also present was Baroness Pola Uddin who has a long history of activism on behalf of women and Sapnara Khatun a leading barrister working in family law with considerable experience of representing victims of forced marriage.

The object and purpose of the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Bill is to provide protection for the victims of forced marriage by means of civil remedies in the family courts. It seeks to empower and protect vulnerable women and men against serious abuse, involving violence, threats of violence and other forms of improper coercion. It is a Private Member's Bill, prepared by Lord Lester of Herne Hill QC, together with the Southall Black Sisters and a team of leading family lawyers with practical experience of working in this sensitive field.

The women present agreed on the need for the Bill, the desirability of Civil measures rather than criminal measures in order to increase the chances of the victims retaining family connections and the need for a variety of methods to tackle this sensitive issue. Lord Lester encouraged the women to campaign to support the Bill, particularly in the lead up to a meeting with the Home Office Minister Baroness Scotland on March 9.

Cllr Stephanie Eaton, Leader of the Liberal Democrat group in Tower Hamlets Council spoke of the need for the additional protection afforded by the Bill. She commented "This Bill makes it clear that forced marriage is unlawful and that victims will be protected by the law. Although some current legislation covers cases of forced marriage particularly against children, the value of this proposed legislation is that it will protect women and men of any age who are forced or induced to marry, and provide legal remedies when this occurs".

Further details of the Bill and contact details for the campaign can be obtained from the Odysseus Trust at: www.odysseustrust.org/forcedmarriage/index.html