Petition · past parliament
Change the age of consent from 16 to 18.
Rejected
12 signatures
What the petition asks
Raise the age of consent to 18 and make contraception available and free for under 18s.
This change will protect 16 and 17 year-olds from being taken advantage of by adults, as when many are, the adult is protected under the pretence of the low age of consent.
Admittedly, there is no way to stop under 18s from having sex, which is why we need to ensure that contraception and enhanced sex education is available. However, the law must protect 16 and 17 year-olds from predatory adults, by holding adults accountable for having sex with children.
Admittedly, there is no way to stop under 18s from having sex, which is why we need to ensure that contraception and enhanced sex education is available. However, the law must protect 16 and 17 year-olds from predatory adults, by holding adults accountable for having sex with children.
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
Timeline
| 10 Jul 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 30 Jul 2020 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
12
Status
Rejected
Rejected
30 Jul 2020
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.