Call to stop minors marrying under any circumstances to combat exploitation | canberracamper
A women and girls' advocacy group has called for the minimum age of marriage to be 18 years of age without exception to protect children against forced marriages and exploitation.
Children's advocates are calling on the government to increase the marriage age to 18 with no exceptions.Under Australian law, the marriage age is at least 18 unless a court approves a union where one party is between 16 and 17. A minor must also have parental consent. "In my experience of working with young people who are facing marriage, it is not my view that individuals under the age of 18 really do understand the nature of marriage and the extent of their responsibilities in that kind of relationship," Good Shepherd's strategic projects manager, Laura Vidal, told a Senate hearing.
The Attorney-General's Department said the marriage age was already 18 in Australia. Department official Erin Wells told the Senate there were "exceptional" or "unusual" circumstances where a judge might decide that a 16 or 17 year old could marry.
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