Understanding Jennie’s Law & What It Could Mean For Ireland

In recent years, Ireland has seen figures in domestic violence cases rise and growing outrage among the population over how women in Ireland are protected, or too often not protected. From candlelight vigils to viral campaigns, the demand for change has grown louder. Now, one family’s unimaginable heartbreak has ignited that conversation for change.

After Jennie Poole was killed in 2021 by her partner, the Poole’s family world shattered – but from this tragic story came a mission: to make sure no other women would face the same fate.

Their campaign for Jennie’s Law to be introduced to Ireland has sparked a powerful and much needed debate, and just this week saw a legislation regarding a register for those who have been convicted for domestic abuse go before cabinet.

While this legislation is a hugely positive step in the right direction, what does it mean and how will it protect others against domestic violence?

What is Jennie’s Law?

Jennie’s Law was a campaign set up by the Poole family, after their loving daughter, sister and mother of two Jennifer Poole was murdered by her partner Gavin Murphy in 2021. It wasn’t until her death that the family found out that Murphy had previously been convicted and served a prison sentence for domestic violence.

Jennifer was unaware of his previous history which led to the family creating the campaign in her name, which now has over 27,000 signatures. Their proposed law wanted the government to create a register of repeat and convicted offenders of domestic violence. They wanted this register to follow from the same format as the UK’s Domestic Violence Disclosure scheme, which was introduced back in 2018 following Clare’s Law campaign.

This register would allow anyone to check and see if their partner had previous convictions of domestic violence history to ensure their safety and protection. It would follow a Right to Know policy which means that the Gardaí would proactively inform individuals who are at risk.

Hand in hand with this, the campaign called for a Right to Ask policy to be also included which would allow victims and individuals to check if their partner has a previous history of abuse. This goes for those in the relationship or loved ones outside who are concerned.

After Jennifer and her family were lied to by Murphy about his whereabouts during his time in prison, Jennie’s Law also wanted to see criminal penalties issued to abusers who deceive their partners about their past.

Domestic Violence Register Judgement

After hearing the proposed idea of Jennie’s Law, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan introduced this domestic violence register, which he named as Domestic Violence Register Judgement. This legislation that was approved by cabinet will contain a list “of all those who have been found guilty of serious intimate partner abuse by the courts.”

When speaking on this new legislation, as per The Journal, Jim O’Callaghan said that the list of convicted abusers will only appear on the register after the victims have given consent and will be managed and added by the courts to ensure complete protection to victims.

The cabinet approval of this register is incredible news for victims and women across country, as Ireland has been years behind many other countries in creating protections for women in regards to domestic violence. However, many are voicing concerns about their understanding of this new register and are unsure about what will be included.

With the legislation at the moment only seeming to include those with convictions of physical domestic abuse, opposition parties have raised the concerns of the public. Sinn Féin’s MEP for Ireland South, Kathleen Funchion spoke highly of the new legislation but said that “coercive control, emotional manipulation, and isolation are equally damaging and must be treated with the seriousness they deserve.”

Máire Devine, the Sinn Féin spokesperson for Domestic and Gender Violence, has also added that she hopes financial abuse, sexual harassment and sexual assault can also be included in the register.

What does this mean for the women of Ireland?

Jason Poole, Jennifer Poole’s brother, who has been heavily involved in the Jennie’s Law campaign, spoke on Ireland AM where he noted that this legislation is a strong step in the right direction. He said that this register would be a “safety net” for many and will allow those who are entering a new relationship to feel safe and happy knowing they can check the register.

@irelandamvmtv “If we had the system that we are looking for now in place, we’d still have my sister” Jason Poole, brother of Jennifer Poole, speaks about the introduction of Jennie’s Law, a domestic violence register aimed at protecting victims by making previous convictions easily accessible. The law, which is set to be brought forward to Cabinet by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, was inspired by Jennifer’s tragic death and is intended as a safety net for future victims If you’ve been affected by any of the matters in this clip, you can find contact helplines at www.virginmediatelevision.ie/helplines – Link in Bio 🔗 #IrelandAM ♬ original sound – Ireland AM

This system in Ireland is needed now more than ever, as Women’s Aid released released a statistic that showed in 2024, the Gardaí responded to 65,000 domestic abuse cases. Deputy Roderic O’Gorman said that this was a “20% increase in the previous two years”.

With more information set to be announced in regard to the full inclusion of the register, we are glad to see that change is happening to help protect women and all victims of domestic abuse.

If you have been affected by domestic violence – always speak up. You can contact the Women’s Aid hotline 24/7 or call the Gardaí – you are never alone.