Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to legally recognise humanist marriages in England and Wales.

The Government is aware that humanists have long been campaigning to conduct legally binding weddings, and we are grateful for the contributions that humanists make to our society.

The Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings law made 57 recommendations for the wholesale reform of weddings law, including recommendations that would enable non-religious belief groups, such as humanists, to conduct legally binding weddings. The Law Commission also concluded that weddings law is not working for couples belonging to many different groups, and that it is unfair and inconsistent.

Marriage will always be one of our most important institutions and we have a duty to consider any changes to our marriage law carefully. As a new Government, it is right that we take the time to consider this issue, and we will set out our position on weddings reform in the coming months.