A committee has backed provisions of a Bill which would give Scotland the tightest regulation on forced marriages in the UK.
The Scottish Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee supports the general principles of the Forced Marriage (Protection and Jurisdiction) (Scotland) Bill and concludes that although the number of forced marriages in Scotland was believed to be relatively low, the impact on victims was so high that improved measures were needed to protect them.
The legislation, which is designed to protect people being forced into marrying without their consent, introduces Forced Marriage Protection Orders. Anyone found breaching an order could face up to two years in prison.
This means Scotland would become the only place in the UK where it would be a criminal offence to breach an order.