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| Britain |
| UK Law Society Kicks Lawyers’ Butts to Prevent Forced Marriages |
| 2004-05-08 |
| The Law Society is to give solicitors new guidance to help them save young women from forced marriages. The move comes after concern that lawyers are not intervening because they fear being branded racist. At least 300 forced marriages, many with victims under 16, are thought to be performed each year. The guidelines say that ’failure to tackle forced marriage is a failure to protect and endorse the rights of all citizens’. Solicitors are reminded that forced marriage is not an issue confined to any particular culture They have to say that. The authorities have long battled to prevent under-age girls being taken to their countries of origin to be married off by their parents. But recent investigations have found that a growing number are being married in Britain. Anne Cryer, the MP for Keighley, who led Labour’s action plan on forced marriages, wants to create similar guidelines for underage marriages. Solicitors are asked to intervene by victims, siblings and teachers. Solicitors are afraid of being branded racist if they intervene to stop forced marriages, the Law Society has said. Chief executive Janet Paraskeva said confusion between arranged marriages and forced marriages stopped solicitors reporting incidents to the authorities. "We want solicitors to act, not shy away from these issues," she added. There are believed to be at least 300 forced marriages in Britain every year, and many solicitors encounter them through immigration applications. Others are asked to intervene by the victims, their siblings or teachers. .... |
| Posted by:Mike Sylwester |