Northern Ireland has opened a public consultation on Jade's Law, a reform that would automatically restrict the parental responsibility of anyone convicted of murdering or committing voluntary manslaughter against a person with whom they share parental responsibility. Finance Minister John O'Dowd launched the consultation on 10 November 2026, and it runs until 8 February 2027.

At present, decisions about parental responsibility and child arrangements in Northern Ireland are dealt with case by case by the Family Court. That often requires bereaved family members and carers to navigate legal processes at a time of profound grief. The proposed reform would make the restriction automatic following a conviction, rather than leaving families to apply to the court.

What Jade's Law would change

Under the proposal, a parent convicted of the murder or voluntary manslaughter of the other parent would automatically have their parental responsibility restricted. Parental responsibility covers the right to be consulted on decisions affecting a child's life, including health, education and travel.

The consultation is also asking whether similar automatic restrictions should apply in other high-harm situations. Those include attempted murder and other serious violence against a child's other parent, cases where a child was conceived through rape, other serious sexual offending against children, and severe harm to a child.

For each of those additional areas, the consultation explores three possible models: automatic restrictions, mandatory Family Court review, or a discretionary approach left to the court.

Why the reform is being proposed

Speaking at the launch, Mr O'Dowd said: "The safety, welfare and wellbeing of children are among the most fundamental responsibilities of government."

He added: "There have been a number of highly distressing domestic homicide cases in this jurisdiction in recent years, with several directly impacting children through devastating exposure to violence, trauma and bereavement."

The minister said he wanted "legislative reform that places children's welfare and victims' rights at its heart, while easing the burden on families". He encouraged families and all interested parties to take part in the consultation.

Background to Jade's Law

Jade's Law is named after Jade Ward, who was killed by her partner in 2021. Her partner retained parental responsibility for their children after her death, meaning he had to be consulted on decisions affecting their lives. Campaigners argued that this caused further trauma to the children and their family.

Similar legislation was enacted in England and Wales in 2024, but it has not yet been brought into force because of legal and operational complexities across the criminal, family and safeguarding systems. Northern Ireland's Department of Finance says it can learn from that experience.

Mr O'Dowd first committed to the reform in April 2026, instructing officials to begin detailed policy development. He said at the time that a Bill would be brought forward in the early part of the next Assembly mandate.

How to respond

The consultation runs from 10 November 2026 to 8 February 2027. Responses can be submitted through the Department of Finance consultation page at consultations2.nidirect.gov.uk/dof/family-law-reform.

Mr O'Dowd concluded: "This is an opportunity to help build a family law framework that continues to place children first and supports families at times of profound difficulty, while ensuring that the burden of seeking protection does not fall unfairly on those already coping with loss and trauma."

Sources: Department of Finance, Northern Ireland and 4NI.