Mr Justice Munby stated that arranged marriages were not only to be supported, but respected. Forced marriages, by contrast, were utterly unacceptable:
“A forced marriage is a gross abuse of human rights. It is a form of domestic violence that dehumanises people by denying them their right to choose how to live their lives. It is an appalling practice. No social or cultural imperative, no pretended recourse to religious belief, can possibly justify forced marriage.
“The courts must, and will, use all their powers to prevent forced marriage and to protect the victims of forced marriage. The courts will not hesitate to use every weapon in their protective arsenal if faced with what is, or appears to be, a case of forced marriage.”
He described the legal measures and potential charges which could result from a forced marriage.
