Forced marriage now a criminal offence

Forcing someone into marriage in Scotland becomes a criminal offence from today (30 September 2014).

The new offence is contained in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2014, passed by the UK Parliament earlier this year with consent of the Scottish Parliament as respects the new offence. It will sit alongside protections already in place in Scotland, including forced marriage protection orders.

Cabinet Secretary for Equalities Shona Robison said: “Criminalising forced marriage gives an additional layer of protection for those affected by this issue, and the new offence demonstrates that we are committed to meeting our international obligations and ensures consistency of protection across Scotland and the rest of the UK.

“Not only does this move send a strong message of support to victims, but it also demonstrates Scotland’s unequivocal opposition to forced marriage to countries where this is prevalent and where there is a lack of a domestic legal infrastructure to protect people."

Guidance for practitioners will be published shortly on responding to reports of forced marriage, along with a range of awareness-raising materials.

The Scottish Government has also commissioned further research into the issues around forced marriage and this will be published in due course.