SUPREME COURT RULING ON CHILD MARRIAGE

The Supreme Court of India has made a vital judgment on child marriage:

• The Court ruled that India’s child marriage laws must be enforced using a prevention, protection, and prosecution model, as advocated by Access to Justice for Children.

  
  

• The landmark judgment also made a recommendation for the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) to be amended to make the standalone act of the betrothal of children illegal.

The ruling was the result of a petition filed by Access to Justice partners, Society for Enlightenment and Voluntary Action (SEVA) and activist Nirmal Gorana, who works with India Child Protection.

The Supreme Court's judgment included detailed guidelines, which align with the Access to Justice for Children program's approach:

• Policy for prevention, protection, and prosecution

• Investments in education and budgetary allocation for and in instruction and buildings

• Capacity building in communities

• Knowledge and empowerment of children, especially girls

• Ecosystem at all levels starting from child marriage free villages

• Technology for monitoring of school attendance.

  
  

Under our nationwide campaign against child marriage, Access to Justice has already played a significant role in accelerating an end to child marriage in India. Using the 'prevention, protection, and prosecution' model supported by the Supreme Court's ruling, the campaign has prevented more than 120,000 child marriages in 2023-24 alone. In addition, Access to Justice partners are supporting more than 50,000 communities which have declared themselves 'Child Marriage Free Villages'.

PRESS COVERAGE

READ THE SUPREME COURT RULING