The legal age for consensual sex varies between 16 and 17 years across Australian state and territory jurisdictions (see Table 2). For other sexual activities, the criminal legislation relating to different types of sexual behaviours and interactions varies across Australian jurisdictions.
Dating and relationships
In general, there are no laws that say when a young person can start dating another person (but there are laws about doing sexual activity with another person, which we explain below!)
Sexual consent
In most Australian states and territories, the age at which you can legally consent to have sex is 16 years. The exceptions to this are South Australia and Tasmania, where it's 17 years. When someone has sex with a person under the age of consent, they might have committed a serious offence.
The age of consent for sex is 16. At this age, teenagers can also marry, but only with parental consent. A 16-year-old is legally allowed to leave home without parental consent but parents remain responsible for their child's wellbeing until they are 18, so they may still require support.
There aren't any laws around being in a non-sexual relationship where one person is under 18 and the other over. Once you turn 16 it's not illegal for someone to have sex with you no matter how old they are.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) defines a child as everyone under 18 unless, "under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier".
You are now in control of your life. The law says you are an adult and you don't need your parents' permission to do anything. You can: be taken to the adult courts if you break the law.
Rules to get married in Australia
To get married in Australia, you must: not be married. not be marrying a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother or sister. be at least 18 years old, unless a court has approved a marriage where 1 person is 16-18 years old.
It is a very serious offence to engage in sexual activity with anyone under 16 years of age, even if you are in a relationship and they agree, as the law says that they cannot consent.
But there are exceptions. Angola and the Philippines both set the age of consent at 12, which is the lowest in the world.
Japan Panel Calls for Raising Minimum Age of Sexual Consent to 16. Tokyo, Oct. 24 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese government panel on Monday proposed raising the minimum age of sexual consent, stipulated under the criminal code, to 16 from the current 13.
Australian law prohibits blood relatives from marrying and this includes adopted as well as natural children. Cousins are not prohibited from marrying one another.
You can marry other types of relatives or people from your household including aunts, uncles, cousins, step siblings and foster siblings.
The marriage age for marriage in Australia is 18 years, but in "unusual and exceptional circumstances" a person aged 16 or 17 can marry with parental consent and authorisation by a court. A Notice of Intended Marriage is required to be lodged with the chosen marriage celebrant at least one month before the wedding.
In Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, it's all about the big three birthdays: 16, 18 and 21. These are celebrated largely due to their legal importance in the Western world, with freedoms like driving, voting and buying alcohol bestowed around these ages.
What does turning 16 mean? At 16, you'll be well on your way to becoming an adult. Among other important things, once you turn 16 you can choose whether to stay on at school or college, start an apprenticeship or training, or get a job.
For many American youths, 16 is probably the most important birthday they'll celebrate before they reach legal adulthood. At 16, a young person can get a driver's license and a job—and, more importantly, they can enjoy the freedom and be expected to cope with the responsibilities that come with both.
By law, you are still regarded as a minor until you are 18. This means your parents or guardians are still legally responsible for your welfare until you reach this age. This does not mean however that you have no say in decisions that directly affect you while you are under 18.
Age 18. Legal age of majority. They can vote, buy tobacco and cigarettes, hold a credit card and a loan, and have a tattoo.
Once a young person reaches 16 they can leave home or their parents can ask them to move out. However, parents are responsible for their children's wellbeing until they turn 18 - and they'll likely need support (anchor link).
Adultery is not a crime in Australia. Under federal law enacted in 1994, sexual conduct between consenting adults (18 years of age or older) is their private matter throughout Australia, irrespective of marital status.
By definition you cannot have a polygamous marriage in Australia without being married to two people at once, which would make you guilty of the criminal offence of bigamy. Thus, polygamy in Australia is not legal.
The vast majority of children of first cousins are healthy and do not have problems due to their parents' relatedness. It is important to keep in mind that even for an unrelated couple, there is an approximately 2-3% chance that their child is born with a birth defect, genetic syndrome, or disability.
A marriage will not be valid if the parties are in a 'prohibited relationship' (s 23B(1)(b) Marriage Act). A prohibited relationship is one between a brother and sister (including half-blood) or between a person and an ancestor (i.e. a parent or grandparent) or descendant (i.e. a child or grandchild).
An avunculate marriage is a marriage with a parent's sibling or with one's sibling's child—i.e., between an uncle or aunt and their niece or nephew. Such a marriage may occur between biological (consanguine) relatives or between persons related by marriage (affinity).