Petition · Ministry of Justice
Amend age-of-consent laws to protect those under 21
Closed
93 signatures
What the petition asks
Currently, the age-of-consent in England and Wales is 16, with only a handful of exceptions. I believe this is woefully inadequate, as 16-20-year-olds are still maturing, and can still be taken advantage of by older adults.
I call on the Government to change the current law as follows:
*Those aged 16-17 can only legally consent to sexual activity with those up to 2 years their senior
*Those aged 18-20 can only legally consent to sexual activity with those up to 3 years their senior
*Those aged 16-17 can only legally consent to sexual activity with those up to 2 years their senior
*Those aged 18-20 can only legally consent to sexual activity with those up to 3 years their senior
Timeline
| 27 Nov 2025 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 27 May 2026 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
93
Status
Closed
Department
Ministry of Justice
Opened
27 Nov 2025
Closed
27 May 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 14 Aug 2026.