Supreme Court nominee, Justice Dennis Dominic Adjei, has sparked renewed debate over Ghana’s legal framework surrounding the age of sexual consent and the age of marriage.
Justice Adjei raised a critical legal and ethical question during his vetting : why should a 16-year-old be considered mature enough to consent to sex, yet too young to legally marry?
“Does it add up for one to be considered matured enough to give sexual consent at age 16, and yet be considered immature to marry at that same age?” he questioned.
Justice Adjei further noted the practical implications of this legal inconsistency, especially in cases where consensual sex at age 16 leads to teenage pregnancy. He suggested that Ghana’s laws, particularly the Criminal Offences Act and the Children’s Act need to be harmonised.
Currently, Ghana’s legal age of sexual consent is 16 years, while the minimum legal age for marriage stands at 18 years. The nominee urged policymakers to either raise the age of sexual consent to 18 years or lower the legal marriage age to 16 years to reflect consistency in the law and its societal impact.
“The Criminal Offences Act and the Children’s Act must marry,” he remarked, calling for coherent legislative reform.
His comments have sparked fresh public discourse around adolescent rights, protection, and the legal definitions of maturity in Ghana’s justice system.
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