The Government has announced its commitment to raising the minimum legal age of marriage in England and Wales to 18 years.
Under the current rules, 16 and 17-year-olds can get married provided they have parental consent.
However, this has drawn criticism from charity campaigners who have warned that some teenagers are being coerced into getting married too young.
Last month, the four co-chairs of the coalition Girls Not Brides UK wrote a letter to the prime minister warning that the current law on forced marriage law did not go far enough to protect young people.
MP Pauline Latham has also recently held meetings with ministers, including the justice secretary, Robert Buckland, to discuss the issue, including a proposal for a new criminal offence for adults involved in marriages for children.
On top of this former chancellor, Sajid Javid announced his plans to introduce a private member’s bill making it illegal for under-18s to get married.
Now in a letter to campaigners from the Ministry of Justice, it said it was committed to raising the minimum legal age to 18 as soon as the legislative opportunity arises.
Natasha Rattu, Director of the charity Karma Nirvana, which campaigns on child marriage, said: “We are delighted that after relentless campaigning the Government has listened to our joint calls to end child marriage by committing to raising the legal age of marriage to 18.
“But while this is a huge step in the right direction, it remains imperative the government also makes child marriage a crime.
“This would ensure maximum safeguards against all forms of child marriage and sends out the strongest possible message that child marriage is not accepted or tolerated by our government.”
You can rely on Knightsbridge Solicitors to support you with your family and relationships.
Our experienced team are ready to help you. Contact us today on 0115 824 1700 to arrange a free 30-minute consultation or get more information.