Jade Ward’s family are hurt and disappointed. As the months pass without their new policy being put into action, they’ve learned that Jade’s Law, which took effect in May 2024, is still lying dormant and hasn’t actually been implemented. The law, officially called Section 18 of the Victim and Prisoners Act 2024, aims to punish people who have murdered their ex-spouses. Its purpose is to prevent these people from indoctrinating their kids. This legislation was a direct response to the unfortunate case of Jade Ward. She was sadistically raped, stabbed, and strangled to death by her former partner Marsh.
After Marsh began requesting sensitive social and personal information about their minor children from his incarceration location, Walsh’s parents, Paul Ward and Karen Robinson, sued. They dedicated themselves to running a campaign for this law. He was given a life sentence in 2022, but has recently expressed “no contrition” for his crime. This legislation would remove the parental rights of anyone who is convicted of murdering an ex-spouse. In doing so, it takes a much-needed step towards protecting children by putting their mothers’ murderers out of reach.
In fact, over 130,000 people signed that petition. Together, they fought relentlessly to change the laws on parental rights. At that event in June 2022, the family formally kicked off their campaign in Westminster. Their goal was to highlight the lack of legal reform needed to protect them. Well, their calls were finally answered! Jade’s Law, an automatic passing score law, thus became one of the last pieces of legislation passed before this year’s general election.
Jade’s Law, despite its passage, has not been put into action. The needed statutory instruments for implementation are now keeping the courts in limbo. As a result, they’re unable to invoke the law in order to defend truth-seeking victims’ families. This last minute delay has Jade’s family reeling and feeling further betrayed and frustrated.
Upon learning that Jade’s Law is not being utilized, Paul Ward expressed his anguish:
“We’re tired. We just want Jade to rest.”
His words are a reflection of the emotional cost that this long fight has had on the family. Karen Robinson shared her shock at discovering that Marsh still has parental rights over their children. She emphasized the distressing psychological implications of this situation:
“It brings up the really bad memories.”
Here’s the family Jade had hoped that Jade’s Law would give them a feeling of justice and closure. Robinson remarked on their desire for peace, stating:
“We’re just need it to be over so we can move on and get a bit of peace, because we haven’t really yet.”
Lawmakers crafted this legislation to spare other families from experiencing the loss that Jade Ward has suffered. They wanted to make sure no one else would go through what they experienced. Those makers hoped for a system that prioritizes the best interest and safety of children. This system gives children the opportunity to escape the burden of their parents’ violent histories. Actions speak louder than words, and today’s realities have many doubting how much good any legislative progress can do when progress on the ground is still paralyzed.
At the same time, the family is still trying to understand the emotional burden of their loss. Even through their sorrow, they remain committed to campaigning for the activation of Jade’s Law. Their goal is to shine a much-needed spotlight on this topic. In the process, they hope to spare future generations from living through that same trauma.
