Saudi Arabia on Monday issued a de facto ban on child marriages, in another social reform initiated since Mohammad Bin Salman became crown prince two years ago.
The Justice Ministry issued an order to the courts that any marriage application for someone under the age of 18 would have to be referred to a special court to make sure that “marrying those below 18-years old will not harm them and will achieve their best interest, whether they are male or female”.
The order comes after an amendment to the kingdom's Child Protection Law was passed by the Shoura Council in January that sought to ban child marriages under 15 entirely and establish new rules around those between 16-18 years old.
Latifa Al Shaalan, a member of Saudi Arabia’s Shoura Council, reportedly described the move earlier this year as a "good step forward," despite being "not easy to reach."
Issa Al Ghaith, another member of the Shoura Council, also praised the move as well as his colleagues, including Ms Al Shaalan, for their work in passing the bill. [The National] Read more
