The Punjab Assembly committee’s approval of the Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2026, constitutes a pivotal and long-overdue intervention to confront one of the country’s most deeply entrenched social injustices. By unequivocally setting 18 as the minimum legal age of marriage for both males and females, the province signals a decisive departure from legal ambiguity and gender disparity, while affirming its commitment to safeguarding the rights and futures of children.

However, this progress remains provisional, as the bill must still be enacted by the full assembly before the ordinance lapses. The Governor of Punjab had promulgated the Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance, 2026, on February 11, 2026; any delay risks diminishing both its urgency and transformative potential.

The Bill comprises 14 sections and substantially modernises the legal framework governing child protection in marriage. Section 14 repeals the nearly century-old Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929, marking a significant legislative transition. Section 10 classifies child marriage as a non-bailable and non-compoundable offence, thereby establishing a strong deterrent against this practice.

Section 7 prescribes imprisonment of 2 to 3 years for parents, guardians, and other facilitators involved in such unlawful acts, explicitly extending liability to legal guardians as well. Sections 3 and 4 impose strict penalties on nikah registrars and other individuals involved in solemnising child marriages, prescribing up to 2 years of imprisonment and fines of up to one hundred thousand rupees for registrars, while adults who contract marriage with a minor may face 2 to 3 years of imprisonment and fines of up to five hundred thousand rupees.

This Bill seeks to restrain the practice of child marriage in Punjab and to provide for matters connected therewith and ancillary thereto. It represents a progressive step towards modernising child protection legislation by eliminating gender-based distinctions in the legal age of marriage and establishing 18 years as the minimum age for both males and females. In doing so, it introduces a more coherent and equitable legal standard while strengthening penal provisions against those who facilitate or promote child marriages, including individuals involved in child trafficking and related forms of abuse.

Child marriage is neither an innocuous cultural practice nor a matter of private choice; rather, it is a systemic violation with far-reaching and often irreversible consequences. Girls married in adolescence are significantly more likely to discontinue their education, thereby losing opportunities for personal development and economic participation.

The effectiveness of the Bill, once it becomes an Act, will depend on its implementation. This requires strengthening institutional capacity across law enforcement, the judiciary, and local administration

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