The legal age for marriage and civil partnership in England and Wales will be raised from 16 to 18 – and adults can be imprisoned to facilitate the marriage of minors.
The bill, introduced in June 2021, was passed in parliament on Tuesday without opposition and will receive royal approval later this week, meaning it will become law from then on.
Until now, people could marry at the age of 16 or 17 with the consent of their parents.
The new law also applies to religious or cultural marriages that are not registered with the local council of couples.
Children will not be punished under the new law, but adults who facilitate their marriage could face up to seven years in prison and a fine.
Adults who take children abroad to get married can also face jail time and fines.
Conservative MP Pauline Latham, who introduced the bill after years of activists calling for it, said it “will transform the life chances of many girls”.
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1:24 “You are too vulnerable” – A woman married at 16
Paisy Malika was forced to marry and campaign against child marriage after her sister Banaz was killed in a “murder of honor”.
She tweeted: “This law could have saved her.
“This morning my thoughts were clouded by the day I became a child bride.
“My day started today and this day, very early. Anxious both days. Frightened both days. Tears both days.
“But today tears of joy are running down my face because I know what that means for girls like me.”
She added that her campaign was “for every girl”.
No marriage or civil partnership entered into before the entry into force of the legislation will be affected.
The new law applies only to England and Wales. In Scotland, the minimum age is still 16 and couples do not need parental consent.
In Northern Ireland, the minimum age also remains 16, but couples need parental consent.
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