Overview
- The Justice Minister has brought the Domestic Violence (Judgements) Register Bill to Cabinet this week and the government has approved publication of the text to begin its passage through the Oireachtas.
- The measure would add a new Part 3A to the Domestic Violence Act 2018 to publish judgments for indictable domestic‑violence offences on a Courts Service‑hosted online register.
- Victims or survivors must give consent before a convicted person can be named, and the trial judge will decide when a judgment should be published and which details appear under the heading “Domestic Violence Register Judgments.”
- People convicted can apply to a court to be removed no earlier than three years after a non‑custodial conviction or from the date of release after a custodial sentence, with removal left to the court’s discretion.
- Campaigners and refuges welcomed the step as a safety tool driven by Jason Poole’s campaign in memory of Jennifer Poole but warned the register only lists prosecuted convictions and must be paired with more policing, monitoring and specialist supports to protect people who are vulnerable.