Update on Humanist UK Marriage ceremonies Legal Status
I am excited to share with you an update on the work Humanist UK have been doing in this area. I know for many people this is still a reason not to have a Humanist wedding and I completely understand that outlook. It is all very frustratingly slow with every change of leadership and reshuffle nothing gets done in Government. Humanist UK are working hard and I believe in time it will happen. Below is the update I have received.
Upcoming Government response to the Law Commission’s review
We are currently preparing for the Government’s response to the Law Commission’s review, which looked at wedding laws in England and Wales and made wide-sweeping recommendations. The Government’s response, which we expect within the next month or so, will likely set out a plan for wider sectoral reform, possibly including humanist marriages. We are preparing for different scenarios, and I will let you know our next steps once we see the details of their position. We will also hold a Zoom event to discuss the response and its implications for celebrants once it is issued, and I will be back in touch with an invitation to this as soon as I can.
Legal work
Our legal work on marriage is currently paused while we wait for the Government’s response to the Law Commission review. If you recall, Harrison was a legal case taken in 2020 by six humanist couples supported by Humanists UK. In her ruling, the judge stated the current law gives rise to discrimination but stopped short of making a declaration of incompatibility as the Government was giving the matter consideration in the Law Commission’s review of marriage. Encouragingly, however, the judge warned that the Justice Secretary ‘cannot….simply sit on his hands’ and do nothing, so we remain confident this door remains open in the near future. We will be considering next steps once we have seen the Government’s plans.
Calling on Government to lay the Order
Meanwhile, we continue to press the Government to lay the Order without delay. We’re coming up to the ten year anniversary of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, which granted the Government the power to legally recognise humanist marriages by Order. The amendment granting the Government the power was on 8 July, and the Act received royal assent on 17 July. We will commemorate these dates, and have also prepared a campaign stunt that will use Humanists UK’s members’ collective voices, gathered at our Convention in Liverpool last weekend, to highlight the personal significance of this campaign – so keep your eyes peeled!
