New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. Photo: Carmen Natale/ALM “In New Jersey, we are dedicated to protecting children by putting an end to child marriages by raising the minimum age to 18," Murphy said in a statement. “Studies have consistently showed that minors who enter into marriage—particularly young women—are less likely to graduate from high school and college and more likely to suffer domestic abuse and live in poverty." The New Jersey Assembly passed S427 in a 59-0 vote on June 7. It was previously approved by the Senate in a 30-5 vote on April 12.The law takes judicial approval for underage marriages out of consideration. Under previous law, minors who were 16 or 17 could get married with parental consent. Minors under the age of 16 could have been married after obtaining parental consent and the approval of a Superior Court judge. Former Republican Gov. Chris Christie previously vetoed identical legislation because he said it would run counter to some religious customs and would be more exclusive than laws in other jurisdictions. He had proposed an outright marriage ban on those under 16, and judicial approval for those age 16 and 17.