Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will issue a full response to the Law Commission’s weddings law report Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law, published on 19 July.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is currently considering the Law Commission’s report on weddings law and has a duty to consider the implications of any changes to the law in this area very carefully. The report proposes fundamental reform to weddings law in England and Wales and it is important that we take the time to fully consider the Law Commission’s recommendations before publishing a response. We will publish our response to the report in due course.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Law Commission's report entitled Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law, HC 557, published on 19 July 2022, when he plans to respond to the recommendations in that report; and with reference to recommendation 36 in that report that couples should be able to have their schedules and marriage documents issued and completed in Welsh alone where the wedding ceremony takes place in Wales, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending that potential right to couples who would prefer Welsh documentation where the marriage takes place in England.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
To date, the Government has made no assessment in the potential merits of including a Welsh-only option for people receiving registration documents in England. We will set out our position to recommendation 36, and wider marriage reform, within the formal Government response to the Law Commission in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the publication of the Law Commission report, Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law, published on 19 July, what assessment they have made of the Marriage Act 1949 (Amendment) Bill relating to the criminalisation of purporting to solemnise marriages that are not legally registered; and what plans they have to ensure that the Bill is scheduled for a second reading.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Now that the Law Commission has completed its review, we must take the time to consider the recommendations fully. We know that marriage ceremonies occur outside the legal framework for weddings in England and Wales. The Law Commission has carefully considered this in its report. We will set out our position on this issue, and wider marriage reform, within the formal Government response in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scott of Bybrook on 27 April (HL7850) and the Law Commission report, Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law, published on 19 July, what plans they have for assessing the case for more comprehensive and enduring reform to marriage law once the Law Commission has completed its fundamental review.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Now that the Law Commission has completed its review, we must take the time to consider the recommendations fully. We know that marriage ceremonies occur outside the legal framework for weddings in England and Wales. The Law Commission has carefully considered this in its report. We will set out our position on this issue, and wider marriage reform, within the formal Government response in due course.
Asked by: Lord Desai (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to publish a response to the Law Commission report Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law (HC 557), published on 19 July.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
We are taking the time to consider the report recommendations fully. We will publish a response to the report in due course.
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
Asked by: Lord Pickles (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will give humanist marriages legal recognition by laying an Order under the Marriage Act 2013; and if so, whether they will consider doing so on an interim basis pending further reform of marriage law.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
In July 2019, the Government invited the Law Commission to undertake a review of weddings law in England and Wales. The Law Commission report was published on 19 July 2022 and contains 57 recommendations for legislative reform.
To lay an order on an interim basis does not allow the necessary time to consider the Law Commission’s recommendations in full. 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: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Law Commission’s recommendations to reform wedding laws in England and Wales.
Answered by Sarah Dines
In July 2019, the Government invited the Law Commission to undertake a wholesale review on weddings law in England and Wales. The Law Commission report was published on 19 July 2022 and contains 57 recommendations for wholesale legislative reform.
We must now take the time to consider the report 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. We will publish a response to the report in due course.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Law Commission's report, Celebrating Marriage: A New Weddings Law, published July 2022, if he will implement the Commission's recommendations on removing restrictions on venues where civil and religious marriages can take place; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Sarah Dines
The Law Commission report contains 57 recommendations for wholesale legislative reform. We must now take the time to consider the report 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. We will publish a response to the report in due course.