London: A court in the United Kingdom has sentenced a Muslim cleric to a suspended prison term for conducting a marriage ceremony involving minors, among the first prosecutions under revised child marriage laws.
Ashraf Osmani, a 52 year old imam from Northampton, pleaded guilty to performing a Nikah between a 16 year old boy and a 16 year old girl in November 2023. English law now sets 18 as the minimum marriage age without exception.
The Marriage and Civil Partnership Minimum Age Act 2022 took effect in February 2023. The law makes arranging, conducting, or facilitating any marriage involving a person under 18 a criminal offence across England and Wales, including religious ceremonies.
The court imposed a 15 week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. Osmani will avoid custody unless another offence occurs during the suspension period. The court also ordered unpaid community work and compliance with additional conditions.
During the hearing, Osmani said he lacked awareness of the legal change when the ceremony took place. The court rejected this explanation, citing safeguarding duties and the need for compliance with statutory law.
The Crown Prosecution Service described the case as legally important and said it signalled firm enforcement of the amended legislation. Prosecutors stressed religious practice does not override child protection standards.
The case involved no evidence of force or abuse. Consent from families did not alter the legal position. The ruling affirmed uniform application of the law across communities.
Authorities urged faith leaders and communities to learn current law.
