Athuraliye Rathana Thera yesterday (9) moved a private member bill to repeal the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) No. The first reading of the bill, titled the “Muslim Marriage and Divorce (Repeal) Act”, was held yesterday in Parliament. These bills sought to introduce 18 years as the minimum age of marriage for all (Minimum Age of Marriage Bill), and to amend the Civil Procedure Code (CPC) and the Marriages (General) Ordinance No. Based on the existing MMDA law, a female can be married off with only her father’s consent. “Muslim underage marriages should be stopped by making 18 years the minimum age required for marriage,” he said.

Source: The Nation February 09, 2021 22:18 UTC