Government will consider staggered age of consent for 16 and 17-year-olds

The government has said it will give serious consideration to changing the age of consent so that adults could no longer legally have sex with 16 and 17-year-olds, the Guardian and the Independent reported this weekend. The idea is a staggered age of consent, and it has been raised after a woman waived her right to anonymity to speak publicly about Russell Brand.

Ministers are also being urged to look at banning non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) used to silence people who allege sexual abuse, according to the Sunday Times, which first reported the proposals.

What is being proposed?

Under current UK law, as the Guardian explained, adults of any age are legally able to have sex with 16 and 17-year-olds. A staggered age of consent would change that, making relationships between adults above a certain age and teenagers aged 16 and 17 illegal. The age of consent was set at 16 in 1885 by the Criminal Law Amendment Act.

Louise Haigh, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and effective deputy prime minister, told the Sunday Times that changing the law would be a significant step but one that merits scrutiny. In her words: "It clearly would be a massive step to change the age of consent". She added that she could understand why the change is being sought.

Who is calling for it?

The proposal came from Mia Latter, 37, who was previously referred to by the pseudonym Alice in a 2023 investigation by the Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches. She waived her anonymity this weekend. Ms Latter alleges that Brand raped her when she was 16 and he was 30, towards the end of a three-month relationship. Brand denied all of her allegations when they were first reported in 2023.

The Guardian reported that Ms Latter went to the police after the documentary, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to include her case in Brand's trial at Southwark Crown Court. Brand was convicted of attacks against four of the six women who gave evidence and is serving a 10-and-a-half-year sentence for one count of rape and three sexual assaults.

The Metropolitan Police said it began an investigation in January 2026 after receiving an allegation of rape and that the inquiry remains ongoing. A spokesperson said detectives had been advised by the CPS that more information was needed before a charging decision could be made, and acknowledged that the delay had been distressing for the victim-survivor.

Why are NDAs part of the debate?

Calls for change intensified after allegations were published against the comedian David Walliams, 55, following an investigation by the Guardian and ITV News. The Met is looking into a series of allegations against him. One woman described an encounter at the age of 15 as sexual assault, and the Independent said the allegations were published despite an attempt by Mr Walliams to have them stopped by an injunction. Mr Walliams denies any wrongdoing, though he admitted to the Guardian that he had behaved thoughtlessly.

An NDA was reported to have been used to silence one woman connected to Mr Walliams. Ms Haigh said there was a very strong case for banning NDAs wherever they relate to harassment or discrimination, so that no victim is silenced. She also said that teenage fans in cases such as this would not come under the current consultation.

What does this mean for the law?

Nothing has changed yet. The government has only said the idea deserves proper consideration and scrutiny. Ms Haigh said she believes such cases are not limited to the entertainment and cultural industries, but occur across society.

Support is also coming from outside Labour. The Guardian reported that MPs from other parties may back a bill to change the age of consent, with the Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson, Jess Brown-Fuller, in favour of a review. She said a staggered age would be an important step and compared it to existing rules that recognise power imbalances between teachers and students. Bridget Phillipson, the minister for women and equalities, praised Ms Latter's courage.

Around Prague, based on reporting by The Independent, The Guardian

Cover photo: Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

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