- Lord Chancellor will introduce new powers to automatically
suspend parental responsibility from any parent who kills their
partner
- Known as ‘Jade’s Law,’ the measures will be brought before
parliament by the end of the year
- New law will put children first and protect families from
manipulation of abusers behind bars
Speaking to the Conservative Party Conference today (3rd
October), Justice Secretary will outline Conservative plans
to introduce ‘Jade’s Law’.
The measures, named after Jade Ward who was tragically stabbed
and strangled by her partner Russell Marsh as their children were
sleeping in 2021, will introduce an automatic suspension of
parental responsibility whilst any mother or father is serving
time for killing the person with which they shared that
responsibility.
Despite being sent to prison, Marsh has still attempted to
control his children from behind bars. He retains rights to
request school reports and medical details of his children and
could even block them getting therapy and travelling abroad
despite being found guilty of murdering their mother. But plans
unveiled by Chalk will put a stop to future such
injustices.
The new rules will create an automatic suspension of parental
responsibility from a person who is convicted of the murder or
voluntary manslaughter of a person with whom they share parental
responsibility. A mother or father who kills the other parent
will no longer be able to expect to continue to have
responsibility for the children they shared from behind bars.
This will make sure that children are protected from their
remaining parent having any say in their life – from going on
holiday abroad to which school they will attend.
The needs of the child will be put first and the burden on the
family members to apply to the family court will be removed,
meaning that they can focus on looking after and protecting the
child.
The court would still consider the best interests of the child
through a rapid and robust review stage and a right to apply to
have the suspension lifted. And there will be an exemption for
those parents who lash out with diminished responsibility
following a history of domestic abuse.
The measures will be introduced to parliament as part of the
Victims and Prisoners Bill.
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, MP said:
“Jade Ward’s case and the moving campaign of her family has
exposed an injustice in our family justice system, one that we
are committed to fixing.
“Murderers who kill their partners should not be able to
manipulate and control their children from behind bars, which is
why we are fixing the law to protect families from this appalling
behaviour.”
Speaking to the Conservative Party Conference today (3rd
October), Justice Secretary will outline Conservative plans
to introduce ‘Jade’s Law’.
The measures, named after Jade Ward who was tragically stabbed
and strangled by her partner Russell Marsh as their children were
sleeping in 2021, will introduce an automatic suspension of
parental responsibility whilst any mother or father is serving
time for killing the person with which they shared that
responsibility.
Despite being sent to prison, Marsh has still attempted to
control his children from behind bars. He retains rights to
request school reports and medical details of his children and
could even block them getting therapy and travelling abroad
despite being found guilty of murdering their mother. But plans
unveiled by Chalk will put a stop to future such
injustices.
The new rules will create an automatic suspension of parental
responsibility from a person who is convicted of the murder or
voluntary manslaughter of a person with whom they share parental
responsibility. A mother or father who kills the other parent
will no longer be able to expect to continue to have
responsibility for the children they shared from behind bars.
This will make sure that children are protected from their
remaining parent having any say in their life – from going on
holiday abroad to which school they will attend.
The needs of the child will be put first and the burden on the
family members to apply to the family court will be removed,
meaning that they can focus on looking after and protecting the
child.
The court would still consider the best interests of the child
through a rapid and robust review stage and a right to apply to
have the suspension lifted. And there will be an exemption for
those parents who lash out with diminished responsibility
following a history of domestic abuse.
The measures will be introduced to parliament as part of the
Victims and Prisoners Bill.
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, MP said:
“Jade Ward’s case and the moving campaign of her family has
exposed an injustice in our family justice system, one that we
are committed to fixing.
“Murderers who kill their partners should not be able to
manipulate and control their children from behind bars, which is
why we are fixing the law to protect families from this appalling
behaviour.”
