The Scottish Government could soon increase the minimum age for marriage, bringing Scotland into line with Wales and England.
Ministers are set to formally consult on changing the law.
Currently, any two people aged 16 or over, not married or in a civil partnership with someone else, and not closely related can tie the knot.
However, the UN defines any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child, as child marriage.
READ MORE: New law raises minimum age for marriage to 18 in England and Wales
Earlier this year, the minimum age for a wedding in England and Wales was raised to 18.
According to the Mail on Sunday, ministers here are soon set to consult on changing the law north of the border.
Teenage weddings in Scotland are relatively uncommon, only 18 marriages out of more than 30,000 last year involved one or both parties being under the age of 18.
Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown told the paper: “We have been gathering views from a range of stakeholders and considering the next steps, following the recent observation of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child that we prohibit all marriages of under 18s.
“Whilst very few 16 and 17-year-olds marry or register a civil partnership in Scotland each year, I have now decided that the Scottish Government should consult formally in 2024.
"Reform of the age of marriage is a potentially cross-cutting area given other rights that we permit 16 and 17-year-olds to exercise.
“We need to consider the full implications of any change in the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership and whether any change is needed to the existing criminal law on forced marriage.”
READ MORE: Rebecca McQuillan: It’s time for Scotland to end child marriage
Scotland and England had different rules on marriage for many years.
Under 21s were prevented from marrying in England or Wales without their parents’ consent following the introduction of the 1754 Marriage Act.
However, because teenage lovers could marry on the spot in Scotland in a simple marriage declaration or 'handfasting' ceremony with two witnesses, couples would sneak across the border.
Gretna Green on the Scottish Borders, the first village on the main post road from London became a famous spot for eloping youngsters.
The change in law in England and Wales was triggered by a private members’ bill, initially introduced by the former home secretary Sajid Javid.
He said he was motivated to act by concern that many such unions are “coerced or forced for cultural or religious reasons”.
In 2019 a quarter of cases – 363 – dealt with by the government’s UK-wide Forced Marriage Unit involved children aged under 18.
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