Finance Minister John O'Dowd has introduced the Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill at the Northern Ireland Assembly, proposing to lift the minimum age for marriage and civil partnership to 18. At present, 16- and 17-year-olds can marry or enter a civil partnership with parental or equivalent consent. The legislation will also formalise 'belief' marriages, putting them on the same legal footing as religious ceremonies.

Speaking after introducing the Bill, Finance Minister John O'Dowd said: "The legislation introduced will help to better safeguard our children and young people.

"Child marriage can increase the risk of forced marriage and can deprive children of education and other essential life opportunities. Girls, who are more frequently married as children than boys, are especially at risk. "Organisations such as the United Nations and local stakeholders recommend raising the minimum age for marriage from the present 16 to 18.

"I am therefore convinced of the need for change, particularly given that almost every respondent to the consultation supported raising the minimum age."

The Minister continued: "For several years, belief marriages have been permitted through temporary arrangements. This Bill will now put belief marriages on a permanent legal footing, giving them the same statutory recognition as religious marriages."

Alongside raising the age threshold, the Bill will bring belief marriages into marriage law on the same basis as religious marriage and make it a criminal offence to arrange a marriage involving anyone under 18. Official figures show that between 2020 and 2024 there were 183 marriages where at least one partner was under 18, with provisional data for 2025 indicating 13 such marriages.