Debate contribution: Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Miss Deirdre Hargey on 20 April 2026.

MLA: Miss Deirdre Hargey
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 20 April 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Executive Committee Business
Heading: Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill: Second Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5493296

Text

I echo what everybody else has said and welcome the Second Stage debate on the Bill. It is important that our legislation be routinely updated in order that it is fit for purpose. Sinn Féin supports the changes that the Minister is making. I thank him and his team of officials. It is important that we raise the minimum age for marriage and civil partnership to 18. As Members and the Minister have said, that will bring it into line with international best practice and be consistent with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which also recommends setting the minimum age at 18. As the Minister said, the changes are supported by the majority of respondents, so the Bill is in line with where society is at on the issue. It is important that our laws empower young people, but it is also important that they protect them from coercion, inequality and decisions that may lead to lifelong negative consequences. Such concerns arose during the engagement process. The change to the law will ensure that such protections are in place. There is also a clear equality dimension, on which Eóin touched. We know that under-18 marriages disproportionately affect girls, and, as Matthew said, given that we are looking to end violence against women and girls, that is a really important aspect of the legislation. We support the measures in the Bill that strengthen rights and protections, and we also welcome the provisions in clause 6 relating to forced marriages. The clause extends the offence of forced marriage to here. That is important for tackling human trafficking and exploitation and is an area of concern that has been raised by communities here. We also support the changes being made concerning belief marriages. The Bill will put us on a correct footing by addressing an inequality that was highlighted in the courts back in 2017. We believe that treating people who are humanists or have non-religious beliefs with the same respect with which we treat those with religious beliefs is an issue of fairness. It is important that we are now putting those rights on a firm legal footing through the amendments to existing legislation that the Bill will make. Although there are broader issues that we will need to consider in the future, it is right that we move ahead with the changes in the Bill and do not delay progress, because, as many Members have said, it has been 10 years since the most recent court judgement. The Bill is a step in the right direction. It protects our young people, advances equality and, importantly, modernises our legal framework in a fair and inclusive way. On that basis, we are pleased to support the Minister's approach to the legislation, and we look forward to the rest of the Bill's legislative stages.

474 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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