The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 received Royal Assent in April last year. It is planned to come into effect on Monday 27 February 2023. The Act will raise the age of marriage and civil partnership to 18 in England and Wales to protect children from the scourge of forced marriage.
This means that 16 to 17-year-olds will no longer be able to marry or enter a civil partnership under any circumstances, including with parental or judicial consent from 26 February 2023. It will not be possible for anyone under 18 to marry or enter a civil partnership after this date.
Currently forced marriage is only an offence if the person uses a type of coercion, for example threats, to cause someone to marry, or if the person lacks capacity to consent to marry under the Mental Capacity Act. The Act will therefore also expand the criminal offence of forced marriage in England and Wales to make it an offence in all circumstances to do anything intended to cause a child to marry before they turn 18.
Source: GOV.UK for more, visit https://bit.ly/3lvM2JM
For further advice, contact our team on 01792 468684 or email enquiries@pgmsolicitors.co.uk
