By Sulaiman Jalloh
Hon. Mariama Munia Zombo
Hon. Mariama Munia Zombo representing the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) has, on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, during the 52nd plenary sitting in Parliament on Tower Hill in Freetown, served a notice of intent to move a Private Member Bill against child marriage.
Standing Order (SO) 48 (1) of Parliament paves way for a parliamentarian to push for a Private Member Bill.
In a snap interview with The Expo Times, the lawmaker stated that her intent and purpose of the Bill is to prohibit child marriage, adding that the Bill is entitled ‘Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2024. She furthered that the Bill after becoming a law would, among other things, provide protection against child marriage, prohibit cohabitation of a child, annul child marriage, compensate victims of child marriage, and harmonize all laws related to child marriage in the country.
Hon. Mariama Munia Zombi said that there are other laws that need to be repealed and amended so as to be in line with child marriage, citing cases of the 2007 Child Rights Act, the Registration of Costmary Marriage and Divorce Act, 2009, the Christian Marriage Act 1960, the Muslim Marriage Act of 1960 and the Civil Marriage Act of 1960, adding that all of those Acts have issues that need to be looked into.
The law marker said the Child Rights Act 2007 is good but noted that all the penalties are weak thus causing the continuation of the problem of child marriage in the African country. She stated that the Registration of Costmary Marriage and Divorce Act, 2009 does prohibits child marriage but gives authority to a parent or guardian or a local authority to give consent for a child to be married, something she condemned and said is a big loophole that has to be amended.
Hon. Zombo added that the Gender and Children’s Committee and the Legislation Committee in Parliament are working hand in gloves to ensure that the best laws are passed.
Copyright –Published in print in Expo Times Newspaper on Monday, June 7th , 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)