C. Who Are Over Sixteen.

Since 1929 the minimum age for marriage has been sixteen. Before then, it was fourteen for boys and twelve for girls.

If a boy or girls of under sixteen is married, the marriage will be null and void. In addition, the child will be committing a criminal offence.

A person under the age of eighteen needs to obtain parental, or other consent to the marriage. If the consent is forged, or if the child states that he or she is over eighteen in order to make consent unnecessary, the marriage will remain valid, but the child will be committing a criminal offence. The marriage will only be invalid if the child is under sixteen.

Consents. A sixteen – or seventeen – year – old will need the signed consent of parents or anyone else with parental responsibility.

If for some reason one of the parents cannot give consent (e.g. because he or she cannot be traced), then special consent will be needed; the registrar of marriages can provide details.

If the parents refuse their consent the child can apply to the court for its consent. Although the application can be to a Family Proceedings Court (a magistrates’ court), a country court, or the High Court, it is usually most convenient to apply to the local Family Proceedings Court. The child should go to the court as though he or she wanted to issue an application and explain the position to the warrant officer.

New vocabulary:

Party – сторона

Be widowed – овдоветь

Decree of divorce – постановление суда о разводе

Obtain – приобретать

Void – делатьне действительным, аннулировать

Bigamy – бигамия, двоеженство

Prosecution – судебноепреследование

Relatively - относительно

Sole purpose – единственнаяцель

Maliciously - предумышленно

Fraudulent – обманный, мошеннический

Spouse - супруг

Grant - предоставлять

Presumption - презумпция

Suppose - предполагать

Reduce – снижать, уменьшать

Conviction – признание виновным, осуждение

Null and void – потерявший законную силу

Commit a criminal offence – совершить уголовное деяние (проступок)

Parental – родительский

Consent – согласие

Forged – подделанный, фальшивый

Signed – подписанный

Упражнения

Найдите в тексте словосочетания с данными юридическими терминами.

Decree; offence; bigamy; presumption; conviction.

Дайте словосочетания с данными глаголами.

To obtain; to commit; to arise; to grant; to reduce; to save.

Ответьте на вопросы.

1. Why are bigamy prosecutions relatively rare these days?

2. What problems can arise when a married person separated from the other spouse many years ago now wishes to remarry?

3. What should be done to avoid the risk of a bigamy prosecution?