Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003
Encyclopedia
The Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 (c. 31) is an Act
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
. It extended previous legislation by also making it illegal for UK nationals to perform female genital mutilation outside the borders of the UK, and increased the maximum penalty from five to 14 years.
The Act replaced the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985
. It does not extend to Scotland, the corresponding legislation there is the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005
.
Experts said in 2003 that about 74,000 women in the UK have been subjected to the procedure, and that up to 7,000 girls would be at risk to be subjected to it abroad. no one has been successfully prosecuted in the UK, under either the 1985 or 2003 Acts.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. It extended previous legislation by also making it illegal for UK nationals to perform female genital mutilation outside the borders of the UK, and increased the maximum penalty from five to 14 years.
The Act replaced the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985
Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985
The Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It made female genital mutilation a crime throughout the UK....
. It does not extend to Scotland, the corresponding legislation there is the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005
Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005
The Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act 2005 is an Act of the Scottish Parliament. It extended previous legislation by also making it illegal for UK nationals to perform female genital mutilation outside the borders of the UK. There have been no known cases of girls from Scotland being...
.
Experts said in 2003 that about 74,000 women in the UK have been subjected to the procedure, and that up to 7,000 girls would be at risk to be subjected to it abroad. no one has been successfully prosecuted in the UK, under either the 1985 or 2003 Acts.