Law Commission seeks information from government on age of consent

Last year, the Delhi HC said POCSO Act was to protect children from sexual exploitation and not to criminalise consensual romantic relationships between young adults.

The 22nd Law Commission, which is looking into the issue of age of consent, held a meeting with officials of the Women and Child Development Ministry recently and sought details on the subject, sources said on Friday.

Over the years, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which defines a child as a person aged below 18, has often come in conflict with the role of consent in determining the nature of relationships between adolescents.

Sources said the Law Commission held a meeting with the government and sought some information on the matter of age of consent.

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"We are dealing with the subject...we had a meeting with them to provide some information," a government functionary said.

Last year, the Delhi High Court had said that the intention behind the POCSO Act was to protect children from sexual exploitation and that it was never meant to criminalise consensual romantic relationships between young adults.

The court made the observation while granting bail to a boy who married a 17-year-old girl and was apprehended under the Act enacted in 2012.

The Law Commission, which is constituted every three years, advises government on complex legal issues.

The present Law Commission is headed by Justice (retired) Ritu Raj Awasthi.