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Ending Child Marriage in the United Kingdom
Hypocrisy Undermines UK pledge to Fight Child Marriage Overseas
- Heather Barr
- HRW
This week Pauline Latham, a Conservative MP, introduced a bill to ban marriage before the age of 18 in England and Wales.
She has support from across the political spectrum for an effort that is long overdue.
In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, children aged 16 and 17 can marry with their parents’ permission.
In Scotland, the minimum age of marriage is 16, with no parental permission required.
In allowing some children to marry the UK is out of step with the international standards it claims to support.
The UN Committee…