[Text on screen]: 51% of adults in England and Wales...are said to be married.

But what is the right to marriage?

Marriage has been a long-standing tradition for centuries.

The European Convention of Human Rights specifically protects our right to marriage through Article 12.

The Article states that: “men and women of marriageable age have the right to marry and to found a family…”

In England and Wales the minimum legal age for marriage, with parental consent, is 16.

For Scotland, the minimum age is 16, without consent.

And Northern Ireland requires a minimum age of 17 with consent.

But it wasn’t until recent years that this right was more inclusive of more people.

England and Wales leaglised same-sex marriage on 13th March 2014…thanks to the Marriage (Same Couples Act) 2013.

The same act allows transgender couples the right to marry, instead of entering a civil partnership.

However, 21 of the 50 countries across Europe still do not recognise some form of same-sex union.

Sadly, there are cases that violate the right to marriage.

Forced marriage occurs when an individual does not consent to marriage with another person.

It is defined on GOV.uk if someone faces emotional or physical pressure to marry...or lacks the ability to make a fully informed choice.

Thankfully a government initiative set up in 2005, the Forced Marriage Unit... which focuses on supporting victims and preventing these cases from happening.

The right to marriage is a basic human right that everyone deserves.

And thanks to recent laws, even more people can enjoy a loving marriage.

We need to protect that right, till death do us part.
Family, Institutions

Do I have a right to get married?

108 views
Published on 29 Nov 2019

Article 12 of the Human Rights Act protects our right to get married. Will you take our hand in holy matrimony (and explore the right to marriage?)

The European Convention of Human Rights protects our right to marriage through Article 12, but what exactly does that mean? Even though it should apply to everyone, there are still some cases in which people’s right to get married is violated. Watch the video to find out what can be done to help.

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