Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the urgency of the need for marriage law reform, with particular reference to protection and prevention for women whose religious marriage ceremonies do not comply with legal requirements and may not be legally recognised.

The Government shares the concern that some people, and disproportionately women, may have a religious wedding that is not legally binding, and does not provide legal protections, without appreciating the consequences.

We are carefully considering the Law Commission’s recommendations on weddings reform. As part of its review, the Law Commission has considered ways of ensuring there are fewer religious wedding ceremonies that result in a marriage which the law does not recognise.

Marriage will always be one of our most important institutions, and we have a duty to consider the implications of any changes to the law in this area very carefully. We are now taking the time to consider the report’s recommendations and will publish a response shortly.