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NLJ this week: Why a legal definition of honour-based abuse is important

17 November 2023
Issue: 8049 / Categories: Legal News , Family
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The government has missed an opportunity to establish a legal definition of honour-based abuse, Imran Khodabocus, director, the Family Law Company, writes in this week’s NLJ. A recommendation that this be done was made by the Women and Equalities Committee but rejected by the government in September

Khodabocus, a lawyer working on diverse cases of honour-based abuse, explains why a legal definition would make a valuable difference. There would be benefits in terms of awareness, consistency of support provided and much more.

He writes: ‘It’s not possible to safeguard victims if no-one understands what they’re safeguarding against.’ Khodabocus, who trains legal professionals in this area, explains what not to do as well as what to do when working with victims of this type of abuse, and highlights some of the barriers faced by victims. 

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Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Serious injury teambolstered by high-profile partner hire

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Firm strengthens employment team with partner hire

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

Lawyers’ liability practice strengthened with partner appointment in London

NEWS
Tech companies will be legally required to prevent material that encourages or assists serious self-harm appearing on their platforms, under Online Safety Act 2023 regulations due to come into force in the autumn
Commercial leasehold, the defence of insanity and ‘consent’ in the criminal law are among the next tranche of projects for the Law Commission
The Bar has a culture of ‘impunity’ and ‘collusive bystanding’ in which making a complaint is deemed career-ending due to a ‘cohort of untouchables’ at the top, Baroness Harriet Harman KC has found
Lawyers have broadly welcomed plans to electronically tag up to 22,000 more offenders, scrap most prison terms below a year and make prisoners ‘earn’ early release
The ex-wife of a Russian billionaire has won her bid to bring her financial relief claim in London, in a unanimous Court of Appeal decision
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