FF Commits To Establishing 'Jennie's Law', Despite Delay From Last Year's Expected Introduction

Wednesday, 13 November 2024 11:32

By Martin Osborne

The initiative is known as "Jennie's Law" and aims to create a system allowing the Gardaí to inform individuals, upon request, if their partner has a history of violent behaviour.

Fianna Fail has promised that they will enact legislation to establish a Domestic Violence Register - despite expectations that the Government would introduce it before Christmas last year.

The initiative, developed with advocate Jason Poole, is known as "Jennie's Law" and aims to create a system allowing the Gardaí to inform individuals, upon request, if their partner has a history of violent behaviour.

The proposed law, described as a "Domestic Violence and Abuse Disclosure Scheme," seeks to prevent incidents of domestic abuse by providing access to critical information on an individual's past offenses.

If enacted, the law would introduce a coercive control register, empowering those entering new relationships to obtain relevant details about potential partners registered for such offenses.

However, concerns were raised last year legal concerns, with issues being raised that disclosing details of a person’s violent past “invokes constitutional and fair procedures rights".

Jennie was a careworker stabbed to death at her apartment in Finglas in Dublin on April 12, 2021.

Gavin Murphy, Jennie's ex-boyfriend, was convicted of her killing last year.

Seantor Fiona O'Loughlin said she has worked with Jennifer's brother, Jason Poole.

She said the initiative would reflect years of advocacy by Poole, who believes such a register could have potentially saved his sister’s life by enabling her to be aware of her partner’s background.

She said the establishment of Jennie’s Law is a priority, promising to pursue it as part of broader efforts to combat domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence.

The bill had previously progressed to its third stage but faced delays in gaining support from the Department of Justice.

In Kildare, 2,164 cases of domestic abuse were reported last year, with 620 cases reported in the first quarter of this year.