Editorial | Guardrails for close-in-age law
Legal
Politics
May 23, 2026
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The ongoing debate over a close-in-age exception to the Sexual Offences Act warrants open and honest discussions.
The public discourse for an issue thatâs sensitive, involving children, consent, criminal justice and protection from abuse, has often drifted toward extremes. The narratives present the matter either as a weakening of child protection laws or as an uncomplicated correction to outdated legislation. Which itâs neither.
The close-in-age exception (or âRomeo and Juliet lawâ) is a legal provision that prevents consensual sexual activity between young people from being prosecuted as statutory rape, provided the individualsâ ages and maturity levels are similar.
Legal
Politics
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