A new law is set to be introduced to suspended the parental rights of a parent found guilty of murdering their partner.
Justice secretary Alex Chalk is expected to introduce ‘Jade’s Law’ in his landmark announcement at the ongoing Conservative party conference.
The measures are named after Jade Ward, a 27-year-old who was stabbed and straggled in her home in Flintshire by her estranged partner, Russell Marsh.
Marsh was found guilty and sentenced to at least 25 years in prison for her murder. Despite this, Marsh still retained his parental rights to the children he shared with Ward, with her parents, Karen Robinson and Paul Ward, launching a campaign for this to change.
Under current laws, killers need to be consulted on decisions affecting their children such as health, education and travel.
The amendment will create an automatic suspension of parental responsibility from a person who is convicted of the murder (or voluntary manslaughter) of a person who they share parental responsibility with.
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It will also mean the bereaved will no longer have to go through the current process of applying to restrict parental responsibility through family courts.
Speaking about their campaign, Ward’s mum Karen Robinson explained: "Knowing that [Russell] had rights and he was sending messages through his lawyer - making it known he's still around and still in control, was horrible.
"I'm just so proud of everybody who's been a part of Jade's Law campaign, the people who signed the petition, people who sent supportive message, people who stopped us in the street.
"We are hoping that once it's all up and running, a spouse considering murdering the other parent - if they know they'll lose rights - if that stops them, that's a family saved."
An amendment to the Bill was previously tabled in July, but was turned down by MPs.
The Ministry of Justice said legislation was already in place for judges to "effectively remove all rights and powers from a parent who has murdered the other", but it added it was "eager to go further."
Edwin Duggan, a friend of the Ward family and campaigner for Jade's Law, explained why such a change was needed.
"Anyone could apply to have parental responsibility removed. Our argument was they shouldn't have it in the first place,” he told the BBC.
“When this goes through, I know it will save lives. Families in the future will not have to go through what Karen and Paul have."
Speaking about Jade’s Law, the Justice Secretary explained. "Jade Ward’s case and the moving campaign of her family has exposed an injustice in our family justice system, one that we are committed to fixing.
"Murderers who kill their partners should not be able to manipulate and control their children from behind bars, which is why we are fixing the law to protect families from this appalling behaviour."
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Kimberley Bond is a Multiplatform Writer for Harper’s Bazaar, focusing on the arts, culture, careers and lifestyle. She previously worked as a Features Writer for Cosmopolitan UK, and has bylines at The Telegraph, The Independent and British Vogue among countless others.
