Criminalization or ‘multiculturalism without culture’? Comparing British and French approaches to tackling forced marriage

Abstract

In seeking to tackle forced marriage, Britain and France have begun to shift away from strategies that prioritize the protection of the state's interests and values over the rights of women and individuals: politics have, to a degree, given way to human rights concerns, but neither have been reconciled with the challenges presented by multiculturalism. This paper compares not only the legislation adopted by the two countries, but the politics concerning religious and cultural differences that have driven their approaches. Britain's Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007, a law designed specifically to aid victims, represents a step in the right direction in terms of protection and prevention. However, recent plans to criminalize forced marriage may undo much of this good work, driving the practice underground. Meanwhile, France has opted for criminalizing some socio-cultural practices (including the niqab and burqa) but not others (including forced marriage), seeking instead to strengthen existing civil and criminal laws that can also be used to tackle forced marriage. Both approaches have their pros and cons, but ultimately Britain and France – like the rest of the world – must find a way to reconcile multiculturalism with human rights: the law is key for mediating and negotiating between these competing values, but specifically criminalizing certain practices associated with minority communities is counter-productive. ‘Multiculturalism without culture’ offers the most promising way forward, ensuring that the state works with civil society and non-governmental organizations to embrace cultural and religious differences while upholding international law on human rights, including the right to freely consent to marriage.

Keywords::

• comparative law
• criminalization
• female genital mutilation
• forced marriage
• niqab
• multiculturalism
• violence against women

Notes

^1. UN General Assembly Resolution 44/25, UN Doc. A/44/49, 20 November 1989. Available from: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm [Accessed 7 October 2013].

^2. One year on: The initial impact of the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 in its first year of operation. Available from: http://www.ccrm.org.uk/images/docs/2.2_fm_act.pdf [Accessed 11 May 2013].

^3. Under Criminal Procedure Rules, r 27.

^4. Article 8: ‘Il est interdit de collecter ou de traiter des données à caractère personnel qui font apparaître, directement ou indirectement, les origines raciales ou ethniques, les opinions politiques, philosophiques ou religieuses.’ This translates roughly as: ‘It is forbidden to collect or analyse data of a private nature which indicate, directly or indirectly, social or ethnic origins, political, philosophical or religious opinions.’

^5. Under Article 147 of the French Civil Code.

^6. Cour de Cassation, Première Chambre Civile, 2 Décembre 1997, jurisdata 96-12324.

^7. Cour d'Appel de Rennes, 10 Décembre 1981, jurisdata 1981-641982.

^8. Loi n° 2006-399 du 4 avril 2006 renforçant la prévention et la répression des violences au sein du couple ou commises contre les mineurs. Available from: http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte = JORFTEXT000000422042&dateTexte = &categorieLien = id [Accessed 29 July 2013].

^9. Under Article 144 of the French Civil Code.

^10. Loi n° 2010-769 du 9 juillet 2010 relative aux violences faites spécifiquement aux femmes, aux violences au sein des couples et aux incidences de ces dernières sur les enfants. Available from: http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte = JORFTEXT000022454032&categorieLien = id [Accessed 29 July 2013].

^11. Under Articles 121-7 of the French Criminal Code.

^12. Projet de Loi 736 portant diverses dispositions d'adaptation dans le domaine de la justice en application du droit de l'Union européenne et des engagements internationaux de la France. Available from: http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/14/pdf/projets/pl0736.pdf [Accessed 29 July 2013].

^13. Under Loi n° 2002-1138 du 9 septembre 2002 d'orientation et de programmation pour la justice, Articles 63–64. Available from: http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte = JORFTEXT000000775140 [Accessed 29 July 2013].

^14. Circulaire no 97–175 adressée aux recteurs d'académies, aux directeurs des services départementaux de l'Éducation nationale, aux chefs d'établissements, aux directeurs d'écoles, 1997. Instruction concernant les violences sexuelles. 26 août. Available from: http://circulaire.legifrance.gouv.fr/pdf/2009/04/cir_1501.pdf [Accessed 29 July 2013].

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Aisha K. Gill

Dr Aisha K. Gill is a Reader in Criminology at University of Roehampton. Her main areas of interest and research include ‘honour’ crimes, sexual violence, forced marriage and health and criminal justice responses to violence against black, minority ethnic and refugee women in the UK, Iraqi Kurdistan and India. She has been involved in addressing the problem of violence against women and girls at the grassroots level for the past 15 years and has published widely in refereed journals such as Current Sociology, Feminist Legal Studies, Feminist Review, Journal of Gender Studies, Women's Studies International Forum and Violence Against Women Journal.

Anicée Van Engeland

Dr Anicée Van Engeland is a Lecturer in Law at SOAS, University of London. Her main areas of research and practice are Iranian law, Afghan law Shia law, Islamic law, international humanitarian law, international human rights, Islamic human rights and Islamic humanitarian standards. Her main field work is the Islamic Republic of Iran. She has acted as a consultant for several international organizations and NGOs such as UNDP, ICRC, UNHCR, ILO, IOM, UNDP, CBI, MSF, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and others.