Youth married without consent

Press, 15 December 1983, Page 30

Youth married without consent

PA Hamilton A youth, aged 16, married without parental consent, the District Court at Hamilton has heard. The youth, whose name was suppressed, was fined $lOO after pleading guilty to a charge of breaching the Marriage Act. Sergeant G. J. P. Brazier said that on June 13 the youth had completed a notice of intended marriage and profered a consent form purported to be signed by his mother. His mother was unaware of the intending marriage, which took place two days later. The defendant had told the police that he and his wife were happy and had achieved what he wanted, Sergeant Brazier said. Counsel, Ms Marilyn Wallace, said that originally the youth had appeared in the Children and Young Persons Court on the charge because of his age, but, as a married man, his case was sent to the District Court. The defendant, now aged 17, had been living with the woman before their marriage because he had difficulties with his own family, Ms Wallace said.

Judge Green said that the law made provision for an application for consented marriage to be made to a judge failing parental consent. He said he would take into account the youth’s age and his circumstances at the time when imposing the fine. “The Court can extend some sort of mercy by granting suppression of your name,” Judge Green told the youth.