Marriage may be allowed in Ukraine from the age of 14

Marriage may be allowed in Ukraine from the age of 14 - what the draft Civil Code provides

Ukraine is proposing to allow marriage from the age of 14. The relevant provision is contained in the draft of the new Civil Code, which is expected to be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada in the near future.

It is not about a general reduction in the marriage age, but about exceptional opportunity marriage by minors if there are reasonable grounds.

Under what conditions is early marriage possible?

According to the draft document, permission to marry at the age of 14 may be granted in the following cases:

• pregnancy of a minor;

• the birth of a child.

Such decisions will continue to be made by individually taking into account the circumstances and interests of the child.

What the new code changes

The current legislation of Ukraine establishes basic marriage age of 18 years, However, it allows the court to grant the right to marry from the age of 16 for good reasons.

The new Civil Code proposes empower such permission for another two years - up to 14 years, which may become one of the most controversial changes in family law.

Context and discussion

The initiative is expected to a broad public discussion, In particular, regarding:

• protection of the rights of minors;

• Preventing forced marriages;

• compliance with European standards of children's rights.

The fate of the provision will depend on the results of the parliamentary review and possible amendments to the draft code.