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Ministers approve bill raising marriage age to 18
Bill raising legal age for marriage from 17 to 18 approved by Ministerial Committee on Legislative Affairs
The Ministerial Committee on Legislative Affairs on Sunday approved a bill which raises the legal age for marriage from 17 to 18.
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The bill was initiated by MK Yariv Levin and will likely receive the coalition's support. Five ministers supported the bill and only one opposed – Shas Minister Mushulam Nahari.
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The Justice Ministry also lent its support to the bill. A Ministry representative explained that as 18 is the age of legal majority, marriage as a legal contract should only be allowed from that age. "We also support the clause that stipulates that a marriage license will be given at the age of 16 only in special cases," he added.
A representative of the authority for the advancement of women said that marriage at a young age can hurt the couple as well as their children.
A Welfare Affairs Ministry representative stressed that there is danger that the bill would leave many single mothers if the courts do not address cases of teenage pregnancies.
The bill will now be put for a preliminary vote at the Knesset.
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