Forced Marriage Protection Orders were introduced in 2008 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland under the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007.

A Forced Marriage Protection Order  (FMPO) can help if you are:

• Being forced into marriage; or
• You are already in a forced marriage

The aim of the order is to protect both adults and children who have been, or are being forced into marriage against their wishes. The court can make an order in an emergency so that protection is in place straightaway. 

The court can also add a power of arrest, when violence is threatened or used. This will help the police arrest a person who does not obey a court order that has a power of arrest attached. Someone who disobeys a court order can be sent to prison for up to two years.

Forced Marriage Protection Orders (FMPO) have been used:

• To prevent a forced marriage from occurring
• To stop intimidation and violence
• To reveal the whereabouts of a person
• To stop someone from being taken abroad
• To hand over passports

Forced marriage is a violation of human rights and is contrary to UK law,including the Matrimonial  Causes Act 1973 , which states that a marriage shall be voidable if:“either party to the marriage did not validly consent to it,whether in consequence to duress, mistake, unsoundness of mind or otherwise”