ACT No. XXII of 2025 AN ACT to amend various laws on child marriage and forced marriage and to provide for matters which are ancillary and consequential thereto.

I assent.

(L.S.)

MYRIAM SPITERI DEBONO

President

29th July, 2025

ACT No. XXII of 2025

AN ACT to amend various laws on child marriage and forced

marriage and to provide for matters which are ancillary and

consequential thereto.

BE IT ENACTED by the President, by and with the advice and

consent of the House of Representatives, in this present Parliament

assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

(1) The short title of this Act is the Various Laws relating to Short title and

commencement.

Child Marriage and Forced Marriage (Amendment) Act, 2025.

(2) This Act shall come into force on such date or dates as the

Minister responsible for equality and the Minister responsible for

social policy and the rights of minors, may by notice in the Gazette

establish, and different dates may be so established for different

provisions and, or purposes of this Act.

PART I

AMENDMENT TO THE CRIMINAL CODE

This Part amends the Criminal Code and shall be read and Amendment to

construed as one with the Criminal Code, hereinafter in this Part the

Code.

referred to as the "Code".

In the proviso to article 251G of the Code the words "effect at

law." shall be substituted by the words "effect at law:" and

immediately thereafter there shall be added the following new

provisos

"Provided further that for the purposes of this article,

marriage shall mean any religious or civil ceremony of marriage,

whether or not legally binding

Provided further that for the purposes of this article,

when the marriage is not legally binding, the marriage shall be

socially recognised as having similar effects as a marriage.".

In article 251GA of the Code the words "four to six years."

shall be substituted by the words "four (4) to six (6) years:" and

immediately thereafter there shall be added the following new

provisos

"Provided that for the purposes of this article,

marriage shall mean any religious or civil ceremony of marriage,

whether or not legally binding

Provided further that for the purposes of this article,

when the marriage is not legally binding, the marriage shall be

socially recognised as having similar effects as a marriage.".

PART II

AMENDMENTS TO THE CIVIL CODE

This Part amends the Civil Code and shall be read and

construed as one with the Civil Code, hereinafter in this Part referred

to as the "Code".

In sub-article (4) of article 189 of the Code the words "1035,

1036 and 1241" shall be substituted by the words "1035 and 1036".

Article 1241 of the Code shall be deleted.

Paragraph (c) of article 1744 of the Code shall be substituted

by the following new paragraph

"(c) minors.".

Article 1807 of the Code shall be deleted.

PART III

AMENDMENT TO THE MARRIAGE ACT

This Part amends the Marriage Act and shall be read and Amendment to

construed as one with the Marriage Act, hereinafter in this Part the

Marriage

Act.

referred to as the "principal Act".

Article 3 of the principal Act shall be substituted by the Substitution of

article 3 of the

following new article

principal Act.

3. Marriage contracted between persons either of

whom is under the age of eighteen (18) years shall be null

and void.".

In paragraph (b) of article 18 of the principal Act the words Amendment of

"capable of contracting marriage." shall be substituted by the words article

18 of the

principal Act.

"capable of contracting marriage:" and immediately thereafter there

shall be added the following new proviso

"Provided that notwithstanding the provisions of

article 244 of the Civil Code, no marriage shall be valid

for all purposes of law in Malta if contracted between

persons either of whom is under the age of eighteen (18)

years.".

PART IV

AMENDMENT TO THE COHABITATION ACT

This Part amends the Cohabitation Act and shall be read and Amendment to

construed as one with the Cohabitation Act, hereinafter in this Part the

Cohabitation

Act.

referred to as the "principal Act".

Article 4 of the principal Act shall be amended as follows

Amendment of

article 4 of the

principal Act.

(a) in paragraph (a) of sub-article (1) thereof the words ",

unless that person is so authorised by law in terms of sub-article

(3)" shall be deleted; and

(b)

sub-article (3) thereof shall be deleted.

Passed by the House of Representatives at Sitting No. 369 of the

23rd July, 2025.

ANĠLU FARRUGIA

Speaker

ELEANOR SCERRI

Clerk of the House of Representatives

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