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WQ.466/2021
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER
BY DEPUTY L.M.C. DOUBLET OF ST. SAVIOUR QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 15TH NOVEMBER 2021 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 22ND NOVEMBER 2021
Question
With regard to extending or ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention') to Jersey, will the Chief Minister provide members with the following information in table format outlining –
- what work, if any, is underway on existing policy and / or legislation to achieve this;
- what areas of new policy and / or legislation it is considered might need to be implemented;
- which Minister has responsibility for oversight of each such area of policy or legislation;
- what the intended outcomes are or the impact for each area is; and
- what target dates have been identified for the delivery of any work in these areas?
Answer
- Forthcoming legislation to address domestic abuse and crimes of prejudice, specifically where such prejudice is based on the sex of the victim, will move Jersey towards compliance with the Istanbul Convention.
- Work has not been carried out on a full compliance gap analysis as the UK has not yet ratified the Istanbul Convention. This means that Jersey is not currently in a position to seek extension.
- The work primarily falls within the ambit of the Minister for Home Affairs, as it mainly concerns the response of the justice system to such violence.
- The intended outcome is that the criminal justice system should properly recognise the physical, sexual, psychological, and economic harms caused by domestic abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour by identifying that behaviour as criminal. Also that crimes of prejudice should be recognised by the justice system and treated with the severity that they deserve.
- At present, it is intended that legislation to address both domestic abuse crimes motivated by prejudice should be debated before the end of this Assembly.