The legal minimum age of marriage in England and Wales has now been raised to 18, the government has confirmed.
After years of campaigners calling for change and action to be brought about, the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 has officially come into force in England and Wales today (27 February), according to the government, and it means that 16 and 17 year olds will no longer be allowed to marry or enter a civil partnership – even if they have parental consent.
The Act also means it’s now a criminal offence to exploit vulnerable children by arranging for them to marry, under any circumstances, regardless of whether or not force is used.
The government says the decision to raise the minimum marriage age from 16 to 18 years old is due to that fact that 18 is widely recognised as the age that a person becomes an adult and therefore gains full citizenship rights.
Today, the age of marriage & civil partnerships in England & Wales has raised from 16 to 18.
This will protect children from coercion & abuse. Hear from child marriage survivor @PayzeeMalika & MP @Pauline_Latham who worked to change the law👇
As part of the government’s commitment to the pledge made to the United Nations to tackle violence against women and girls and end child marriage by 2030, ministers say the raising of the minimum marriage age will “crack down on forced marriages” that can cause lasting damage on a child.
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On top of this, those who are found guilty of arranging child marriages now face sentences of up to seven years in prison.
Previously, forced marriage was only an offence if the person uses a type of coercion to cause someone to marry – but now, it’s an offence to cause a child under the age of 18 to enter a marriage in any circumstances, without the need to prove that a form of coercion was used.
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This includes non-legally binding ‘traditional’ ceremonies, which would still be viewed as marriages by the parties and their families, according to the government.
Legal minimum marriage age raised to 18 in England and Wales / Credit: Sandy Millar (via Unsplash)
Speaking on the introduction of the new Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 today, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said: “This law will better protect vulnerable young people, by cracking down on forced marriage in our society.
“Those who act to manipulate children into marrying under-age will now rightly face the full force of the law.”
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The change was introduced through a Private Member’s Bill brought to Parliament by Pauline Latham OBE MP, and was supported by campaign organisations within the Girls Not Brides Coalition – which works to end child marriage and ‘honour’-based abuse.
“This is a landmark day for the campaigners who have worked relentlessly for over five years to ban child marriage in this country,” Pauline Latham said.
“Child marriage destroys lives, and through this legislation we will protect millions of boys and girls over the coming years from this scourge.”
Featured Image – Pixabay
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Arrest made after 14-year-old boy found in critical condition on Market Street
Daisy Jackson
An arrest has been made after a teenage boy was found unresponsive on Market Street in Manchester city centre.
Detectives believe that the boy, 14, was approached by seven males who stole a designer jacket from him.
Following the altercation, he went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
Thankfully, the teenager is continuing to recover well.
Detectives from Manchester City Centre Criminal Investigation Department confirmed that an 18-year-old male was arrested yesterday, Thursday 20 February.
He has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and remains in police custody.
Detective Inspector Mark Astbury of GMP’s City Centre Criminal Investigation Department, said: “We hope the victim can continue his recovery following what must have been a terrifying ordeal for him.
“Officers are fully investigating all aspects of this shocking incident that has left a man with serious injuries in hospital.
“Our work doesn’t stop here, we are continuing to investigate this incident and information from the public plays an incredibly important role in our investigations and I ask that the community keep talking to us and keep sharing their concerns with us so our teams can act.”
If you have any information, contact GMP 101 or 0161 856 4305 quoting log 2854 of 16/2/25.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials
Emily Sergeant
Trials are currently underway to see if comedy could be an alternative to antidepressants as a way to reduce NHS costs.
UK tech company Craic Health has secured important funding for its ‘comedy on prescription’ project that’s aimed at helping the Government work with the comedy industry, communities, and organisations on comedy-based social prescriptions in the hope that they can solve financial struggles within the NHS.
The groundbreaking scheme uses stand-up shows and workshops to help people who are isolated, lonely, and vulnerable.
Craic believes comedy is an ‘untapped opportunity’ to improve health and wellbeing, and has a goal to make comedy easier to access, so that it can help communities experience its mental health and social benefits.
To achieve this, the company has started trialling Comedy-on-Prescription experiences in the UK – starting in London, with the potential for expansion – which includes things like curated comedy panel game show events and workshops, and general stand-up comedy shows at some of the capital’s world-famous venues.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“Mental health issues like loneliness, isolation, and stress are more common than ever,” the company explains.
“So much so that it’s projected that by 2030, mental health problems, particularly depression, will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally, [but] in this challenging world, comedy stands out as a universal language that breaks barriers.
“Research shows that comedy and laughter have powerful effects – they bring people together, create positive connections, and make life more enjoyable.”
Craic Health says that social prescribing, of which Comedy-on-Prescription is a part of, is all about inclusivity, which makes it making it suitable for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
Its focus is on personalised support, tailored to individual needs and preferences.
Emily Sergeant -
27th February 2023 
