The implementation of the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007

The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007, which came into force in November 2008, is designed to provide protection to those at risk of forced marriage, and recourse for those who have already been forced to marry. Several forced marriage protection orders have been made since the Statute came into effect, the most publicised of which relates to Dr Humayra Abedin, who was held captive in Bangladesh and forced to marry. This paper considers the provisions of the Act, highlighting those that are pertinent to Dr Abedin's case, and compares them with the remedies that were available before the Act came into force. It concludes that the Act is an improvement on the law that existed prior to 2008 but further work needs to be done to ensure that the Act is as effective as possible.