A Civil Code amendment to lower the age of majority from 20 to 18 and set the legal engagement and marriage ages at 17 and 18 for both men and women was greenlighted by the Cabinet Aug. 13.
Premier Su Tseng-chang said during the Cabinet meeting that the amendment matches public consensus and better corresponds with the education and maturity levels of modern-day teenagers. The decision additionally addresses demands of academics, civic groups and students while making domestic laws more consistent with those of over 110 countries and territories around the world including Australia, Germany, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S., he added.
According to the Ministry of Justice, the legal age for administrative and criminal punishment in Taiwan is already set at 18. If the Civil Code’s age of maturity remains at 20, discrepancies between citizens’ rights and responsibilities may arise, the ministry said.
It is hoped that enhancing the rights of the country’s youth will also encourage greater engagement in social affairs, the MOJ added.
Raising the marriage age for women is expected to help protect the right to study and work while improving gender equality, the MOJ said, adding that it brings Taiwan’s laws more in line with Articles 15 and 16 of the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
Under current laws, women can get engaged at 15 and married at 16, lower than the respective ages of 17 and 18 for men.
The amendment, which is expected to take effect Jan. 1, 2023, will involve changes to 38 laws and regulations spanning 14 ministries and agencies. (YCH-E)
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