Government commits to ratifying Istanbul Convention with new laws

Today the Home Secretary Amber Rudd announced more details about the domestic violence and abuse bill confirmed in last week’s Queen’s Speech. The new legislation will mean some offences committed by British citizens anywhere in the world can be prosecuted in the UK. This paves the way for the UK to ratify in full the Council of Europe’s convention on preventing and combating violence against women, known as the Istanbul Convention.

The UK signed up to the Istanbul Convention, which sets out strong, practical measures to prevent violence, protect women and girls from violence, and prosecute perpetrators, in 2012 but never brought it fully into UK law. The campaign to ratify the convention, led by volunteers and women’s groups, is one step closer with this announcement.

Photo credit: KE Januszek Photography/IC Change