Jennie's law puts onus on abused to act

Jennie's Law is a triumph for the Poole family and campaigners and the public nature of it is unheard of for 'behind closed doors' Ireland. But it needs to go further to work, writes Mary-Louise Lynch 

David Poole holds a framed photo of his murdered sister, Jennifer, after Gavin Murphy received a life sentence for her murder in April 2021. Jennie’s Law is a major triumph for the family of Jennifer Poole and the campaigners who fought tirelessly to ensure her death would not be in vain. File photo: Collins Courts

When I was asked to write a response to Jennie’s Law, I took time to think. 

As a survivor leading Survivors Informing Service and Institutions (SiSi), an organisation focused on survivors’ experiences of intimate partner violence, I know gut instinct can be a life-saving defence. Yet that same instinct — to report abuse or seek justice — can be turned against survivors when abusers weaponise the law to continue control post-separation.