Should forced marriages be made illegal in Britain?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph....-forced-marriage.html

[d9f1c7]

Yes

[NOX]

Clearly they should but I think it's a tall order to actually accomplish since it's not a marriage in this country it's a marriage somewhere else and a pre arrangement. You can't much legislate against people talking to each other or taking a holiday abroad- as such it will be a very difficult practice to actually police.

[pusskin]

definately a yes!

[starone]

Double YES, definitely. But how are you going to enforce it? And bear in mind the man is being forced as well as the woman. Perhaps he doesn't want to marry the one who has been chosen for him. Who has considered the man's side of the bargain?

[IggyB]

in this country a couple of 5 year old first cousins can't get married no matter what their parents want - and from the article they are talking about some informal ceremony instead. So what exactly could you make illegal? I agree with your sentiment but from a practical point of view how would you word a statute making this specific practise against the law? We have sufficient legislation and child protection practises in place to deal with this already - they just need to be more rigorously utilised in these sorts of situation in my opinion.

[mushroom25]

just playing devil's advocate here - how can Britain proclaim itself to be a multi-cultural utopia, when it would appear that practices of some cultures that might appear to be alien to some other cultures are to be abhorred, banned, etc?

we cannot, surely, pick and choose which of "our" laws we're happy for other cultures to ignore, and which are not to be ignored at all costs.

[Brenden]

mushroom, we are a multiracial country with our own culture - as have every other country in the world - and we allow other races to practice their own cultures in this country - but it should not be to the detriment of of own culture.

[cathfromsaron]

it already is, isn't it?

'two consenting adults ...'

[ummmm]

Mushroom. All races and cultures are welcomed but must live by the law of this land.

[mushroom25]

exactly brendan - if another culture wishes to marry its 5-year-olds off, how can it be our place to criticise or censure when it is clearly not to the detriment of what we consider to be "british" culture?

[Brenden]

Beause it is against the laws of this land mushroom.

[naomi24]

Yes, of course they should.

[vivandorron]

YES. ( I wish I could shout louder.)

Ron.

[Kiki-frog]

Forced marriages - yes. But let's remember that's not the same arranged marriages, which can, and quite often do, work very well. But if one or both party is being coerced it's a recipe for misery.

[naomi24]

Nox, //since it's not a marriage in this country it's a marriage somewhere else //

Not necessarily.

http://www.islingtont...ced-marriage-age-nine

[FredPuli43]

Yes , of course. It's no answer to say that 'their' culture permits it. A culture that thought it right to kill and eat those from a different tribe would certainly make Liverpool v Everton games newsworthy, but would not be tolerated, and Walton Jail would be full, if it isn't already . What applies to that fanciful example has to apply to real cultures; if it's illegal here, it is to be prevented by the enforcing of the law.
Marriages of children are illegal here; if abroad, their continuance here is illegal as sexual offences. Marriages, here or abroad, which are of those of age, if 'forced' are void or voidable here and may include sexual offences e.g rape.

[venator]

If we allow people to ignore the laws of the land, where do we stop?
Cannabis is rooted in Rastafarian culture, floggings and, stoning for adultery in Muslim culture - next?

[owdhamer]

No they should not be illegal ,its an old custom and avoids mixed marriages

[vivandorron]

Perhaps this a question upon which the Ab Editor should be requested to conduct a poll. A far more appropriate issue than some of the items on which polls have been conducted.

Ron.

[jake-the-peg]

2007

http://www.legislatio...kpga/2007/20/contents