Marriage: Humanist Ceremonies Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Marriage: Humanist Ceremonies

Baroness Butler-Sloss Excerpts
Thursday 21st January 2016

(8 years, 9 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Butler-Sloss Portrait Baroness Butler-Sloss
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I find this very difficult to understand. Why, if it was right to have a review of marriage generally, did we have the same-sex marriage Act but not allow the same for humanists? There is an unacceptable discrepancy there, and I speak as someone who is not a humanist.

Lord Faulks Portrait Lord Faulks
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It is not of course, as the noble Baroness would confirm, that we do not allow humanist marriage—a civil marriage can take place followed by a humanist ceremony. The gravamen of the complaint is that they cannot take place simultaneously.