Children Act 1989 (Amendment) (Female Genital Mutilation) Act 2019

The Children Act 1989 (Amendment) (Female Genital Mutilation) Act 2019 (c. 10) is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which amends the Children Act 1989 to change the designation of proceedings under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 as "family proceedings".

Children Act 1989 (Amendment) (Female Genital Mutilation) Act 2019
Act of Parliament
Long titleA Bill to amend the Children Act 1989 to state that proceedings under Section 5A of, and Schedule 2 to, the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 are family proceedings
Citation2019 c. 10
Introduced byZac Goldsmith (Commons)
Lord Berkeley of Knighton (Lords)
Territorial extentEngland and Wales
Dates
Royal assent15 March 2019
Commencement15 March 2019
Other legislation
AmendsChildren Act 1989
Relates toFemale Genital Mutilation Act 2003
Serious Crime Act 2015
History of passage through Parliament
Text of statute as originally enacted

Background

Zac Goldsmith, in the Second Reading debate in the House of Commons, stated in relation to female genital mutilation court proceedings, "that is clearly an omission in the law, and it means that our courts do not have the full suite of powers necessary to protect girls who are at risk."[1]

The House of Commons Library notes that FGM has been illegal since 1985 and the most recent Female Genital Mutilation Act was introduced in 2003.  Despite this there have been no successful prosecutions for FGM in the UK.[2]

Keith Vaz, then the Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, "It is shocking that 28 years on from female genital mutilation first being made a criminal offence, there has not yet been a successful prosecution in the UK. The Committee’s inquiry will seek to find out why this is the case, as well as considering what more needs to be done to protect at risk girls."[2]

Provisions

This Act makes proceedings under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 to occur in family courts in England and Wales.[3]

See also

References

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