Under-age marriage to be abolished from June

The government has brought necessary amendments to the marriage law with the view to abolish the procedure for granting dispensations for marriage of under-age persons, said an official press release.

The amendment will enter into force on 1 June 2019. In future, only persons who have reached the age of 18 years can marry.

Until now, the Marriage Act has allowed the Ministry of Justice to grant, for special reasons, a dispensation for a person under 18 years of age to marry.

This procedure will now be abolished. Behind the reform is the need to protect the best interests of the child.

The parliamentary reply regarding the government proposal includes three resolutions of Parliament.

In the resolutions, Parliament requires, among other things, that a need to reform the regulation governing the recognition of under-age marriages concluded abroad should be examined.

The President is expected to approve the bill on today.