Ireland has approved landmark legislation to create the country’s first public register of domestic violence offenders, in a move campaigners say will empower people to check whether a potential partner has a history of violence.
Known as Jennie’s Law, the Domestic Violence (Judgements) Register Bill passed Wednesday in the Dáil, or Irish parliament, following years of campaigning by the family of Jennifer Poole, a 24-year-old mother-of-two who was murdered by her former partner in April 2021.
Poole did not know he had a history of abusive behavior, including a conviction for assaulting a former partner.
The online register will publish the names of those convicted of serious domestic abuse offenses, including rape, sexual assault, non-fatal strangulation, harassment, coercive control and non-consensual sharing of intimate images.
While public, there will be limits to the online register. The trial judge has the discretion to determine if publication is warranted based on the specifics of the case, and the perpetrator’s name will only be published if the victim gives consent.
