SC orders govt. to settle marriageable age issue

The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered government to settle the existing conflicting provisions on marriageable age in the laws relating to marriage on Thursday.

The full bench of justices Min Bahadur Raymajhi, Sharada Prasad Pandit and Badri Bahadur Basnet gave the order to the effect.

Section 4 (3) of the Marriage Registration Act 2028 states that marriageable age for men is 22 and 18 for girls while Article 2 under Matrimonial Section of the Civil Code 2020 states that marriageable age for men is 20 and 18 for girls.

Similarly, the same bench of justices has also drawn the attention of the office of the Prime Minister, Home Ministry, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentarian Affairs, Ministry of Population and Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare to stop increasing child marriages across the country, a press release by Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) stated.

A writ demanding for amendments in the laws was filed by Meera Dhungana and Sapana Pradhan Malla of FWLD in December 2005 .

According to Child Workers in Nepal (CWIN), 34 percent of the people in Nepal are getting married during their childhood.

FWLD stated that effective implementation of the law would help decrease child marriage. nepalnews.com ia July 14 06