An examination of forced marriages and its implications within the UK Dissertation

An examination of forced marriages and its implications within the UK - Dissertation Example Accordingly, no marriage could be solemnized of those persons who are under the age of 21 years. Disobedience of laws will be a punishable offence and will result in punishment of 14 years in jail. However, the Jews and Quakers were exempted from this law. Jews and Quakers were not restricted according to the Marriage Act of 1753 to obey the law of appearing in churches for marriage purpose. Anglican churches were also specified for nonconformists and Catholics. The condition of marrying in a specific church was removed by the Parliament through Marriage Act of 1936. The Act in question made it possible for non-religious people to marry in the registrar office in their respective towns and cities (Barlow 2005). In response to a move for equal citizenship, the Parliament in the year 1929 cut down the age limit to 16 years for either sex. This limit is still in vogue. The Civil Partnership Act, which was passed by the Parliament in the year 2004, allowed the young couple to follow the same legal rights and obligations as allowed to the couple of elderly ages (Barlow 2005). This paper analyzes the issue of forced marriages in UK and their implications within UK by evaluating some available literature and by scrutinising some law case examples. In the end, Supreme’s court’s stance related to forced marriages will be given along with a conclusion. We all know that there is a clear distinction between the Forced marriage and the arranged marriage. The forced marriage by way of coercive methods whereas the arranged marriage with the consent of all matrimonial stakeholders. Both sorts of marriages come to limelight in the domestic and the international print and electronic media. Because of inherent domestic violence inflicted upon women in any location or in any country of the world. Forced marriages are characterized by domestic violence in whatever form it is, abuses, and coercive methods and last but not least the threats. (Wilson, 2007). Overview A t horough review of the currently published survey report indicates approximately ten million girls below the age of eighteen years get married every year. As per the calculation it comes to one girl every three seconds. The statistics of such marriages are a) 833,333 girls in a month b) 192,307 in a week c) 27, 397 in a day and d) 19 in every minute. If we look at the picture of developing world, we find one out of five girls married by the age of eighteen years. One out of seven married before attaining the age of fifteen. The situation in African and the Asian countries is other way round. In the mentioned regions, the statistic of early and forced marriage is around sixty percent. What to talk about Child brides in South Asia and Saharan country of Africa where the percentage of early forced marriages went up to 46 and 38 percent respectively. In Europe including Georgia, Turkey and Ukraine, the highest rate of early and forced marriages are 17 percent, 14 percent and 10 percent r espectively. The situation of early and forced marriages in England and France is not quite different of the mentioned countries where 10 percent of the adolescent’s marriage happened at the mere age of 18 years. However, in many countries of the world where the legal marriage is not determined, marriages are being happened at a very lower age of 18 years. Take the example of Central African and the Republic of Congo where the legal age of An examination of forced marriages and its implications within the UK Dissertation - 2 An examination of forced marriages and its implications within the UK - Dissertation Example Accordingly, no marriage could be solemnized of those persons who are under the age of 21 years. Disobedience of laws will be a punishable offence and will result in punishment of 14 years in jail. However, the Jews and Quakers were exempted from this law. Jews and Quakers were not restricted according to the Marriage Act of 1753 to obey the law of appearing in churches for marriage purpose. Anglican churches were also specified for nonconformists and Catholics. The condition of marrying in a specific church was removed by the Parliament through Marriage Act of 1936. The Act in question made it possible for non-religious people to marry in the registrar office in their respective towns and cities (Barlow 2005). In response to a move for equal citizenship, the Parliament in the year 1929 cut down the age limit to 16 years for either sex. This limit is still in vogue. The Civil Partnership Act, which was passed by the Parliament in the year 2004, allowed the young couple to follow the same legal rights and obligations as allowed to the couple of elderly ages (Barlow 2005). This paper analyzes the issue of forced marriages in UK and their implications within UK by evaluating some available literature and by scrutinising some law case examples. In the end, Supreme’s court’s stance related to forced marriages will be given along with a conclusion. Argument Forced marriages are threatening for UK because according to thinkers and researchers, they come under the category of abuse and violence, therefore, suitable legal steps should be taken to stop this form of abuse. This paper scrutinizes the history of forced marriages and analyzes the issue and its implications within the UK. Research Methodology The research methodology suitable for completing this paper is qualitative method in which, an in depth literature review is conducted to analyze the issue of forced marriages in UK and the processes involved. Along with a literature review, case law exampl es are also incorporated to gain an overview of the problem and possible solutions. Therefore, as a research methodology, qualitative form of researching is used and a literature review and case law analysis is conducted to find answers to the research problem. Literature Review Marriages can be performed before authorized registrar. Priests of churches in England and Wales are authorized to conduct marriages in the local parish. Study of marriage history of England, reveals that since inception of Marriage Act 1753Â  till 1837, it was the prerogative of Church of England to conduct marriages except the marriages of the Jews and Quakers. The marriages of other faiths can be held by the Registrars. Marriage Act 1949 overtook previously passed acts of marriage. The 1753 Act required presence of two witnesses at the marriage ceremony coupled with minimum marriageable age (Dnes & Rowthorn 2002). The marriages of royal family are conducted under Royal Marriages Act of 1772. According to the mentioned act, the British Royal family were required to take the permission of the ruler if anyone of them wants to get married under twenty five years of age. Marriage Act 1836 eliminated the royal family in passing the act as a separate act was passed for them in terms of marriage (Dnes & Rowthorn 2002). Forced Marriage in the United Kingdom Forced marriages