The minimum legal age to get married in the UK could be raised to 18 after ministers indicated that they would support the move.
Currently, 16-year-olds are allowed to marry with their parents’ consent – something which campaigners have argued can facilitate sexual abuse when women are forced to marry against their will.
According to The Times, former chancellor Sajid Javid will introduce a private member’s bill next week that will make it illegal for people under the age of 18 to marry.
Speaking to the paper, the senior Conservative backbencher said he viewed 16-year-olds being forced to marry as “child abuse”.
“The British government is working tirelessly to end child marriage in the developing world and yet our own laws are permitting child marriage by the back door,” he said.
“Indeed, when Bangladesh lowered the legal age of marriage from 18 to 16, ministers there were said to have directly pointed to our laws to justify their move.
Read the full story from the Evening Standard below:
Source: Minimum legal age to get married could be raised to 18
