Prohibition of Minor Marriages

In the national marriage legislation, minors belong to the group of material restrictions for entering into a valid marriage. From the aspect of human rights, underage marriage is recognized as a form of gender-based discrimination against girls and boys. Minority, as an element concerning the status of a natural person, is perceived as a certain preparatory phase of life characterized by a lack of intellectual and volitional maturity, as well as the absence of life experience, which affects the prevention of minors from independently protecting their rights and interests. The above is one of the reasons why we believe it is of great importance, in the normative sense, to fully protect, that is, to prohibit the conclusion of underage marriages. The aim of this paper is to indicate the international standards in this area, as well as the need for reform in the legislation of the Republic of Serbia, in terms of the prohibition of underage marriages and their harmful consequences for the persons who conclude them.