Yesterday we attended an event at the Houses of Parliament to support all of the incredible individuals who helped bring in yesterday’s change in law.
As of 27th February 2023, it is now illegal for a child under the age of 18 years old to get married in England and Wales.
Proud of Executive Director Natasha Rattu and the team at Karma Nirvana, the inspirational Payzee Mahmod, our friends at IKWRO, Girls Not Brides UK, Migrant Advocacy, Forward and all the other organisations who worked tirelessly to bring in this new legal protection to help avoid children from being forced into marriage.
1. The minimum legal age of marriage is now 18 in all circumstances. The previous exceptions that allowed children to marry with judicial or parental consent at ages 16 or 17 no longer apply.
2. It is now a criminal offence to cause a child to enter into a marriage. This applies to both registered and unregistered ceremonies, including religious and traditional marriages.
3. The law applies to all UK nationals, (except in Scotland and NI), as well as to all individuals who are resident in England and Wales, regardless of their location in the world. Consequently, it is now illegal for parents to take their children abroad for the purpose of marrying them.
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