Mentions:
1: Baroness Fox of Buckley (Non-affiliated - Life peer) in Derbyshire—because he delivered a sermon expressing approval of mainstream Christian teaching on marriage - Speech Link
2: Baroness Meacher (XB - Life peer) provided legal clarity about the need for the subject to be objective and pluralistic and to include humanism - Speech Link
3: Baroness Garden of Frognal (LD - Life peer) I agree with the comments that they should also encompass the other aspects of humanism. - Speech Link
Nov. 16 2023
Source Page: Equality and Human Rights Monitor 2023Found: Gender reassignment 116Race 147 Religion or belief 192 Sex, including pregnancy and maternity, and marriage
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of legally recognising humanist marriages.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
In July 2019 we invited the Law Commission to undertake a wholesale review on weddings law in England and Wales. As part of that review, the Government invited the Law Commission to make recommendations about how marriage by humanist and other non-religious belief organisations could be incorporated into a revised or new scheme for all marriages that is simple, fair and consistent.
The Law Commission report was published in July 2022 and contains 57 recommendations for extensive legislative reform. The Government is carefully considering these recommendations, and a response will be published in due course.
Written Evidence May. 11 2023
Inquiry: Assisted dying/assisted suicideFound: I am entering this submission to the Health Committee's assisted dying inquiry on behalf of Humanism
Sep. 26 2022
Source Page: Faith and pastoral care for prisoners: PSI 05/2016Found: There is general information about Humanism ( www.humanism.org.uk/humanism ) as well as very detailed
Sep. 26 2022
Source Page: Faith and pastoral care for prisoners: PSI 05/2016Found: There is general information about Humanism ( www.humanism.org.uk/humanism ) as well as very detailed
Written Evidence Sep. 23 2022
Committee: Human Rights (Joint Committee)Found: Founded in 1896, we are trusted to promote humanism by 100,000 members and supporters and over 100
Asked by: Lord Low of Dalston (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the announcement on marriage reform by the Northern Ireland Department of Finance on 1 July affects legal recognition for humanist marriages in England and Wales.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Since marriage is a devolved matter, any decisions regarding humanist marriages in Northern Ireland will not impact marriage laws in England and Wales.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Law Commission report Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law, published 19 July, what plans, if any, they have to grant legal recognition to humanist marriages; and on what timescale they plan to grant such recognition.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Law Commission report contains 57 recommendations for legislative reform.
We must now take the time to consider the Law Commission’s recommendations fully. As has been set out in Parliament, 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, including balancing the needs and interests of all groups. We will publish a response to the report in due course.
Asked by: Lord Low of Dalston (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Law Commission review Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law, published on 19 July, which has called for legal recognition for humanist marriages.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Law Commission report published on 19 July 2022 did not consider the question of whether non-religious belief organisations, including Humanists, should be able to conduct legally binding weddings. The report contains 57 recommendations for legislative reform .
We must now take the time to consider the Law Commission’s recommendations fully. As has been set out in Parliament, 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, including balancing the needs and interests of all groups. We will publish a response to the report in due course