chem1st Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Do you mean criminal responsbility? I think it's 10 in England and Wales, and either 10 or 12 in Scotland. Aye. So you really believe that handing a little kid of 10 over to be married to an adult who could be 20 or even 30 years older is a good idea? Have a word with yourself, mate. I don't. However, if we have a criminal age of responsibility of ten it suggests to me that we say 10 year olds should be capable of determining right from wrong. And if they are capable of that, then surely they should be free to marry, of their own free will. What is an issue is 'forced marriage'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyfriday Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 However, if we have a criminal age of responsibility of ten it suggests to me that we say 10 year olds should be capable of determining right from wrong. And if they are capable of that, then surely they should be free to marry, of their own free will. What is an issue is 'forced marriage'. I understand your logic but acts of criminality don't necessarily go hand in hand with the ability to think rationally or 'responsibly'. I think at age 10, minors are deemed to know the difference between right and wrong but it doesn't mean they can boil a kettle, pay a gas bill or worse-rear their own children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natjack Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Aye. I don't. However, if we have a criminal age of responsibility of ten it suggests to me that we say 10 year olds should be capable of determining right from wrong. And if they are capable of that, then surely they should be free to marry, of their own free will. What is an issue is 'forced marriage'. But how is a 10 year old supposed to decide whether 'marriage' is right for them? It's a bit different than deciding that you know shoplifting or nicking a bike off the street is wrong, but you're going to do it anyway. There's the added dimension that one culture, the UK one, thinks marrying little girls is wrong, and another culture, the one that immam belongs to, that thinks it isn't. Which culture is it bringing that kid up to 'know' what's right and wrong, and putting the guilts on it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyfriday Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 There's the added dimension that one culture, the UK one, thinks marrying little girls is wrong, and another culture, the one that immam belongs to, that thinks it isn't. Which culture is it bringing that kid up to 'know' what's right and wrong, and putting the guilts on it? I disagree, one culture doesn't believe it's ok for 12 year olds to marry, certain individuals within a culture do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natjack Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 I disagree, one culture doesn't believe it's ok for 12 year olds to marry, certain individuals within a culture do.There you go again. Certain individuals within the mainstream UK culture probably do as well, but the law disagrees with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSmith Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 I disagree, one culture doesn't believe it's ok for 12 year olds to marry, certain individuals within a culture do. Saudi Arabia Justice Ministry is considering setting a minimum age for marriage. In 2009, Saudi courts refused to nullify the marriage of an 8-year old girl to a 58- year old man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chem1st Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 I understand your logic but acts of criminality don't necessarily go hand in hand with the ability to think rationally or 'responsibly'. Neither does marriage I think at age 10, minors are deemed to know the difference between right and wrong but it doesn't mean they can boil a kettle, pay a gas bill or worse-rear their own children. Many can though, some disabled people can't do those things either. But they can get married, and they too are often forced to marry. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jul/31/forced-marriage-blights-learning-disabled Ahmed, 33, had no idea what was going on when her family's community decided she was a good match for a man who had recently arrived from India. He needed a visa, and, as Ahmed has a learning disability, it was felt no one else would want to marry her. "Mum knows best," Ahmed recalls. "[i thought] she'd marry me to a nice man. I would get married and be like my sister. I hoped my husband would think I'm pretty." Instead, a year into the marriage, her husband was taking all of her benefits and sending the money to his family, who lived abroad, and was regularly beating and raping her. When she became pregnant, his continued abuse caused her to miscarry, she says. Perhaps people should be banned from getting married if they are mentally disabled, as well as under 16/18 whatever it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey Shaw Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Do you mean criminal responsbility? I think it's 10 in England and Wales, and either 10 or 12 in Scotland. Even if so, that's not the age at issue here. A minor cannot usually consent to medical procedures. Yes, I know that contraceptive administrators choose to disregard that. For these purposes, however, 'minor' means someone aged under 16. As a consequence, such a minor cannot consent to sexual intercourse: the phrase applicable is 'statutory rape' [= where it would not have been rape had the participant reached 16 yrs. old]. Hence even a marriage validly contracted abroad would not be recognised by UK law if either/both of the parties were 15 or younger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyfriday Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 There you go again. There I go again in what respect? You were appending behaviours to a whole culture, not a minority of individuals who are part of it. Certain individuals within the mainstream UK culture probably do as well, but the law disagrees with them. We know that already, what's your point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyfriday Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Saudi Arabia Justice Ministry is considering setting a minimum age for marriage. In 2009, Saudi courts refused to nullify the marriage of an 8-year old girl to a 58- year old man. We are talking about the UK here aren't we? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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