Member

I have signed Amendment 34, also from the noble Lord, Lord Meston, on extending Jade’s law. During the passage of the Victims and Prisoners Bill, we in your Lordships’ House debated extending Jade’s law to ensure that, when an offender is convicted of the murder or voluntary manslaughter of a person with whom they have shared parental responsibility, that responsibility is automatically suspended on sentencing. Jade Ward was a mother who was murdered by her former partner, leaving behind four children. He was sentenced to 25 years but was allowed to continue his parental responsibility. Despite the Victims and Prisoners Act coming into force in May 2024, Section 18 on Jade’s law has not been commenced, and we are struggling to understand why. I hope the Minister will explain—or even better, tell us—that it will be commenced. The amendment of the noble Lord, Lord Meston, would go further, and we support him in this. I beg to move.