The age of sexual consent in Northern Ireland is to be reduced from 17 to 16, which will bring it into line with the rest of the UK.
The proposed change will be introduced in the House of Commons by the Northern Ireland Criminal Justice Minister, Paul Goggins, tomorrow.
The legislation could be in place by June.
The move comes despite opposition from a majority of the members of Northern Ireland's Assembly.
They will have an opportunity to overturn it, if and when responsibility for justice and policing matters is transferred from Westminster to Stormont.
The age of consent in England, Scotland and Wales is 16 but currently it is 17 in Northern Ireland.
Paul Goggins is also proposing changes aimed at offering greater protection for vulnerable young people.
He claims that new measures will deal much more stringently with offenders when there is evidence of abuse or exploitation right up to the age of 18.
Sexual activity involving a child under 13 will be classed as rape, whether consensual or not, and will be punishable by a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
