Marital Coercion - Legislation

Legislation

What remains of the original common law defence of marital coercion is contained in section 47 of the Criminal Justice Act 1925:

Any presumption of law that an offence committed by a wife in the presence of her husband is committed under the coercion of the husband is hereby abolished, but on a charge against a wife for any offence other than treason or murder it shall be a good defence to prove that the offence was committed in the presence of, and under the coercion of, the husband.

Section 37 of the Criminal Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 1945 (c.15) (N.I.) is identical to the section cited above and applies to Northern Ireland.

Paragraph 4 of Schedule 3 to the Crimes Act 1900 makes provision for New South Wales.

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