Louie has praised the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill as a landmark piece of legislation which will legally close child marriage loopholes and delivers significant social reform, provides a huge step forward in preventing child abuse, and allows the UK to continue to lead by example in protecting children, particularly girls and women globally.
The Bill will raise the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership to 18 in England and Wales which will bring an end to provisions allowing for 16-17-year olds to marry or enter a civil partnership with parental or judicial consent.
Importantly, the Bill covers all forms of marriages including both civil and unregistered religious ceremonies, as well as marriages that do not take place in this country as long as the child is a UK national and resident in England or Wales.
In his speech, Louie expressed that marriages under 18 often lead to a lack of education and job opportunities, physical and mental health problems, a loss of independence and an increased risk of domestic abuse. Louie therefore welcomed this Bill which will allow girls and boys more time to grow, be educated and mature before making this serious commitment with significant legal and financial implications.
Louie also praised his colleague, Pauline Latham OBE MP for bringing forward this important piece of legislation and for all of her tireless work in protecting children.
You can view Louie’s speech here or read the full text of the speech here.
