Jennie’s Law: Domestic Violence (Judgments) Register Bill 2026

Legislation has now passed, since the 15^th of July providing for the first domestic violence register referred to as “Jennie’s Law”. The central feature of Jennie’s Law is the establishment of a publicly accessible register of serious domestic violence convictions which will be maintained by the Courts Service.

The law has been named Jennie’s Law following the murder of Jennifer Poole, aged 24 by her former partner in 2021 who had a conviction for assaulting his partner.  Jennifer Poole’s family vigorously campaigned for this legislation to be introduced.  Unfortunately, Jennifer Poole has been one of the many victims of domestic violence deaths that have occurred in this Country.

In our latest article, Karen Tobin, Partner, and Jordan Muir, Trainee Solicitor, review the proposed Domestic Violence (Judgments) Register Bill 2026 (“Jennie’s Law”) and consider its potential impact on domestic violence prevention, victim protection, and the wider Irish legal landscape.

Core Features of the Proposed Legislation

The cornerstone of Jennie’s Law is the creation of a publicly accessible register which will contain judgments relating to individuals convicted on indictment of serious domestic violence offences against a partner or former partner. The register will be maintained by the Courts Service.

The proposed scheme incorporates a number of important safeguards:

1. The trial judge retains discretion to determine whether a judgment should be published.
2. Publication is only with the consent of the victim, to protect victim autonomy.
3. The scope of the register is confined to serious offences, and provision is made for offenders to apply for removal from the register no earlier than 3 years after conviction, subject to court approval.

The judgments are expected to include details of the conviction and sentence, together with any additional information the court considers appropriate.

The Intended Legal Effect

The legislative objective underpinning Jennie’s Law is expressly preventative. The register is designed to enable individuals to make informed decisions when entering or remaining in intimate relationships by providing access to a partner’s history of serious domestic violence convictions.

Jennie’s Law aims to put potential victims in a position of knowledge that may prevent harm occurring to them.

Potential Issues:

• The law applies to Criminal Convictions only, it excludes orders for safety and barring orders. The impact of this is that serious abusers who do not have a criminal conviction will not appear on the register as these orders are governed by the family law “in camera”/privacy rule.
• It is a matter for individuals to check the registry, whereas in England, under “Clare’s Law” the police are permitted to proactively warn individuals.

Conclusion

Jennie’s Law is a welcome intervention in Irish domestic violence framework by providing for controlled publication of information for individuals, aimed at preventing harm through increased awareness.