10,000 signatures reached
To: Jim O'Callaghan TD, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Irish Legal News. Norma Foley TD, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality An Garda Síochána. Members of the Oireachtas.
Protect Lives – Create Jennie’s Law: A Domestic Abuse Register for Ireland
Dear Mr O'Callaghan,
We are writing to urge you to take immediate action to protect people in Ireland from known domestic abusers by introducing Jennie’s Law—a Domestic Abuse Register that would prevent abusers from hiding their past and trapping new victims.
Currently, there is no way for someone to check if a new partner has a violent history, leaving countless people vulnerable to dangerous relationships. Jennie’s Law would change this by introducing:
- A Domestic Abuse Register for repeat offenders and those with convictions.
- A Right to Ask policy, so individuals can check if a partner has a history of abuse.
- A Right to Know system, allowing Gardaí to proactively warn those at risk.
- Criminal penalties for abusers who deceive new partners about their past.
- Improved protections and legal aid for survivors.
Other countries have already taken these steps to protect victims—Ireland must not fall behind. No one should have to suffer abuse simply because their abuser was allowed to hide their past. By introducing Jennie’s Law, you can help prevent further harm and save lives.
Please take action now to make Ireland safer for everyone.
Sincerely
Why is this important?
Domestic abuse ruins lives, and in the worst cases, it ends them. Right now, people in Ireland can unknowingly enter relationships with repeat domestic abusers, because there is no way to check their history.
Jennie’s story is just one example of this devastating reality. She believed she had met a kind and loving partner. What she didn’t know was that he had a history of domestic violence and had served time in prison. By the time she found out, she was trapped in a cycle of control, violence, and fear—a cycle that could have been prevented.
In other countries, domestic abuse registers and the "Right to Ask" & "Right to Know" policies save lives by giving people access to vital, life-protecting information. But in Ireland, abusers are free to hide their past, moving from victim to victim with no accountability.
Jennie’s Law would change that. It would:
✅ Empower people to make informed choices about their safety.
✅ Allow Gardaí to proactively warn those at risk.
✅ Hold abusers accountable for hiding their violent past.
✅ Protect victims before it’s too late.
✅ Empower people to make informed choices about their safety.
✅ Allow Gardaí to proactively warn those at risk.
✅ Hold abusers accountable for hiding their violent past.
✅ Protect victims before it’s too late.
We cannot allow more people to suffer in silence, unknowingly trapped in abusive relationships. Sign this petition to demand urgent action from the Irish Government—because knowledge is power, and lives depend on it.