ABSTRACT
In this chapter the author explores some of the moral, legal and sociological questions that arise from one type of honour crime in the United Kingdom – forced marriage. Focusing on the civil law remedies available under the new Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 the chapter considers how the law in England and Wales deals with tackling forced marriages. In particular, it questions what benefits this new piece of legislation may have for women who may be subject to such practices and questions how this new Act deals with perpetrators of forced marriage. It also discusses the limitations of the Act and examines ‘community’ concerns about introducing this piece of legislation as a mechanism to tackle forced marriage, and it questions why plans for a specific criminal offence of forced marriage have been abandoned by the government. The chapter also considers why crimes of honour and forced marriage have become emblematic of the problematic nature of one religion – Islam – and its treatment of women. In doing so it considers some of the challenges that the issue of forced marriage poses to secular/liberal notions of law, human rights and gender equality.1
