Wedding law in England and Wales is badly out of date.
We campaign for marriage to be equally open to all, regardless of religion or belief.
Time for one wedding law for all.
In England and Wales, different laws apply depending on whether a wedding is Anglican, Jewish, Quaker, another religion or not religious at all (a civil wedding or partnership).
This is unfair, confusing and absurd.
Most religious weddings must be held in a registered place of worship, while civil weddings and partnerships must take place in approved premises. Jewish and Quaker weddings can take place anywhere.
This system leads to inequality. Members of religions which don't have fixed places of worship, or don't use their places of worship for weddings, are disadvantaged. And members of nonreligious communities such as Humanism have no way of getting legally married according to their philosophical beliefs.
The process for a place of worship to register itself for marriage is much cheaper than for approved premises for civil ceremonies. This in turn contributes to the cost of civil marriages and partnerships.
Over 80% of opposite-sex marriages in England and Wales in 2022 were civil marriages. But only 16% of recognised wedding venues in England and Wales can hold civil marriages. The remaining 84% are religious venues.
While approved premises for civil weddings and partnerships must by law hold ceremonies for same-sex couples, this is not the case for places of worship. In 2022, only 2% of places of worship were registered for same-sex weddings. This considerably reduces the options for same-sex couples. Whereas opposite-sex weddings are in slow decline, same-sex weddings are increasing.
UPDATE: The Law Commission has now made its final recommendations on reforming wedding law on England and Wales. Please write to your MP in support of the recommendations...
Unregistered religion-only 'marriages'
The complexity of marriage law may contribute to the rise in couples who have religious 'wedding' ceremonies that are not legally-binding.
A signification proportion of Muslim couples are in an Islamic 'nikah' union lacking the full legal rights and protections of a recognised marriage.
Unregistered marriages can undermine women's rights in particular. If a woman in a nikah is 'divorced' suddenly, or against her wishes, she can be left homeless and without any money or assets.
The situation is made worse by sharia councils or 'courts' which dispense religious rulings on Islamic marriage, child custody and divorce. These are not courts of law but there are concerns some Muslim women, especially those not born in the UK or unable to speak English, perceive them as having real legal authority.
Sharia councils leave children vulnerable and discriminate openly against women. To seek a religious divorce a woman must gain permission from these almost entirely male councils, and there are reports of women being denied this request even in cases where they have faced abuse.
Reforming wedding laws will not solve these problems completely. But making wedding laws simpler and fairer can encourage couples to gain the legal protections of a registered marriage.
Take action!
1. Write to your MP
Tell your MP to support the Law Commission's recommendations for wedding reform.
2. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
3. Join the National Secular Society
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
LibDem MP wants to separate marriage registration from religion
Posted: Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:42
A Liberal Democrat MP has tabled an amendment to the proposed same-sex marriage bill proposing a complete separation of state marriage and religious weddings.
Greg Mulholland, Liberal Democrat MP for Leeds North wants to repeal the 1949 Marriage Act and the 2004 Civil Partnerships Act, remove clauses in the 1973 Matrimonial Causes Act for the ending of marriages on the grounds of adultery or non-consummation, and would ban religious ceremonies from state marriages carried out by civil registrars.
The amendment will face intense opposition from MPs. However, Mr Mulholland argues that separating state and religious marriage is the only way to ensure equality and freedom of religion.
"The Marriage Bill neither delivers equal marriage nor adequately protects freedom of conscience," he said. "The way to deliver both is a proper separation of civil and religious marriage, so it is clear that civil recognition of relationships is a matter for the state, defined in law, and this should be the same for all couples, but at the same time then allowing belief-based organisations to marry whoever they want according to what they believe marriage to mean.
"This is the liberal and the fair approach, but also the commonsensical one that would deliver equality and tolerance and would avoid some of the pitfalls of the Bill as drafted."
Already speculation is rife that in the unlikely event of this amendment being accepted, it would eventually lead to the disestablishment of the Church of England.
Mr Mulholland was one of seven Liberal Democrat MPs to abstain from voting on the same-sex marriage bill in February.
The bill will go to a third reading in the House of Commons in the near future, before proceeding to the House of Lords.
Meanwhile, in Ireland, the bishops have warned that the Church should refuse to perform the civil elements of weddings if same-sex marriage is introduced.
The Church in Ireland provides the majority of marriage solemnisers in the republic. Around 4,300 out of the 5,600 on the register are Catholic priests.
The issue is being considered by a Constitutional Convention as recognition of same-sex marriage would require an amendment to the Irish constitution. The constitution requires the state to guard the institution of marriage with "special care" and "protect it against attack".
Over 1,000 submissions have been made on the issue to the Constitutional Convention including a 10-page written submission from the Irish hierarchy. In this document, the Bishops' Council for Marriage and Family signalled a willingness to withdraw the Church's services to solemnisers in protest.
Should this happen, up to 70% of marriages could be affected.
In their submission, the bishops stated: "It is important to note that in Ireland, the Church and the State co-operate closely in the solemnisation of marriages. Any change to the definition of marriage would create great difficulties and in the light of this, if there were two totally different definitions of marriage, the Church could no longer carry out the civil element."
This could mean the republic would have to adopt a similar model to other European countries where Catholics would have to get married in a register office as well as taking part in a religious ceremony in church.
Legal recognition for civil partnerships in Ireland was granted in 2010 and gave same-sex couples most of the rights afforded to married couples.
Desperate Egyptian Christians discover the value of secularism
Posted: Wed, 7 Nov 2012 14:16
Egypt's newly-elected Coptic Christian pope said on Monday that he was alarmed at the overtly religious nature of the country's proposed new constitution. It is an indication that he intends to campaign with secular groups against the emphasis on Islam in the newly-formulated charter.
Pope Tawadros II expressed concern about the rise of militant Islamism in Egypt and the resulting violent attacks on churches as well as lethal assaults on worshippers. A rising number of court cases are being filed against Christians accusing them of blasphemy and disrespecting Islam.
But the new Pope is hopeful that things can improve. "This is changing bit by bit, and it will take time. It needs encouraging, and so long as society is fair, and democracy is built fairly, you will see participation [from the Copts]."
Egypt's Islamist President, also head of the Muslim Brotherhood, has said the constitution must be based on Islamic Shariah law, although it was not clear what that would entail. But together with the violence being directed against them, Coptic leaders are fearful that they will be subject to even greater persecution if the constitution in its present form is enacted.
"The constitution is for us all to live together, a common life, we need each other. This is the constitution that will bring us together," said Pope Tawadros. "Any additions or hints that make the constitution religious will not be acceptable, not only to Copts but to many sectors in society."
A young Coptic man is in prison facing charges of contempt of religion because he shared an anti-Islamic video on Facebook, while an Islamist broadcaster who faces similar charges for tearing up the Bible in public is not being held.
Meanwhile the authorities have been slow to react to the disappearance of a 14-year-old Christian girl said to have converted to Islam and married a Muslim in breach of laws setting a minimum age for both actions. Salafists have warned the government against handing her back to her family, saying that under Islamic law her actions are permissible. Such incidents leave Christians embittered, and deepen the faultlines in society.
Egypt's Coptic Christians have long complained of discrimination by the state and the country's Muslim majority. Clashes with Muslims have occasionally broken out, sparked by church construction, land disputes or Muslim-Christian love affairs.
See also:
