The criminalisation of forced marriage in England and Wales: one year on

This article examines the case in question and the message that it may send to perpetrators and victims (or potential perpetrators and victims) of forced marriage. It begins by explaining the background to the law relating to forced marriage and then considers why forcing someone to marry became a specific criminal offence. In the light of this, the paper explores the impact that the conviction may have and the steps that need to be taken to ensure that the objectives of criminalisation are actually achieved.