Kiribati Marriage (Amendment) Act 2002

The Marriage (Amendment) Act 2002 amends the Marriage Ordinance (Cap. 54) of Kiribati. It provides that marriages involving individuals under the age of 21 who are not widowed are prohibited unless parental or guardian consent is obtained. Some sources claim that the age is 18 with consent, but the statutory law currently supports the age of 21. The Amendment also specifies prohibited degrees of relationship, barring marriage between close family members and persons within common descent. This amendment reinforces age and kinship restrictions in Kiribati’s marriage law, introducing safeguards for young people and clarifying impermissible relationships to align marriage practices with statutory protections.