MARRIED AT FOURTEEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19502, 4 December 1926, Page 14

MARRIED AT FOURTEEN.

, FALSE DECLARATION MADE,, LEGALITY OF THE CONTRACT. THE QUESTION OF CONSENT.. : [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN COILEESPONDENT. ] > DUNEDIN, Friday. I In the Supreme Court to-day Cedric i William John Parsons appeared before - Mr. Justice Slim lor sentence on a charge of making a ialso declaration at Cromwell i under the M urn ago Act. I On behalf of the prisoner, Mr. Parcell ' said thoro seemed to be very little in the case. Accused had given the age of the 1 girl he married as 16 years, whereas she was 14. The. declaration, in fact, ■ amounted to very little, i His Honor ; Do not continue on that I line, Mr. Parcell, unless you wish me td 1 inflict a moire severe punishment than l i intended. Please do not suggest that the matter should bo treated as a joke, » _ Mr. Parcell: The man has not done ) very much wrong. Ho is a first-clas3 ; boy. 5 His Honor:! If you -will be so silly as ; to continue on that line you will drive mo to inflict, more serious punishment than I intended. j Mr. Parcell said the prisoner had , a i good character in the district. The Crown Prosecutor, Mr. Adams, said it was difficult to understand why , the prisoner bad made the false declara- ; tion when he could have married the ) girl at her roal age. , His Honor:: Could she contract mar--5 riago at 14 ? > Mr. Adamd replied that she could r havo been married at 12. His .Honor said that was so. A man of , 14 and a girl of 12 could be married. Mr. Adams said that at 14 the marriage was not void; it was only voidable. The girl had the necessary cShsent. '• His Honor pointed out that the girl was under tliio age of consent provided > in the Crimed Act. That, however, did f not seem to have any bearing. In imposing; a fine of £5,. His Honor ' remarked thai; in these cases it was not ' usual to grant probation, but to order a fine, or, if the, case were serious, fcb > order imprisonment. i I