In England and Wales, the official marriage and civil partnership age has been raised from 16 to 18 to prevent forced marriages and child marriages. Forced marriages with non-legally binding ceremonies was also criminalized.
In England and Wales, causing a child or young person under the age of 18 to marry has become a criminal offence punishable by up to seven years in prison. Forced marriage with non-legally binding ceremonies was also criminalised.
Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab MP, said:
This law will better protect vulnerable young people, by cracking down on forced marriage in our society.
Those who act to manipulate children into marrying under-age will now rightly face the full force of the law.
The government’s anti-forced marriage unit announced that it provided support in 118 cases involving victims under the age of 18 in 2021. However, non-governmental organizations working to prevent forced marriages and child marriages point out that the official figure is far from reflecting the true extent of the problem.
The new law does not apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland
The changes do not cover Northern Ireland and Scotland. The minimum age for marriage is 16 in both countries. Parental consent is required for under 18s in Northern Ireland, while no such permission is required in Scotland.
In Turkey, it is legal for a person to marry after the age of 18. However, it is possible for children to marry when they turn 17 with the permission of their parents or legal guardians.