MoJ consults on marriages by non-religious belief organisations
Consultation proposes a third type of legal ceremony
Section 14 of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 requires a review to be carried out of whether the law should be changed to permit marriages by non-religious belief organisations.
A new consultation by the Ministry of Justice asks if there is a substantial case for changing the law to establish non-religious belief ceremonies. This would allow a third type of legal ceremony, alongside religious and civil ceremonies, for getting married in England and Wales.
Section 14 defines a belief organisation as 'an organisation whose principal or sole purpose is the advancement of a system of non-religious beliefs which relate to morality or ethics'.
The consultation also seeks views on
- which non-religious belief organisations are capable of meeting the definition
- where, if allowed, such marriages would take place
- the provision of safeguards to deal with any resulting risks
- the equality impacts.??
The consultation document is here.
26/6/14
- Keywords:
- marriage