Law Commission Letter to MP Jeff Smith

I wrote to my MP concerning the Law Commission and the late response to its consultation on marriage. I received a positive response from Jeff Smith MP.

It is important to raise these issues and I feel with the current issues taking place these are the issues which often get overlooked and forgotten about.

Response From Jeff Smith MP.
“I fully support reform of Marriage Law in order to reflect the diverse society we live in and share the aim of the GCC Movement to allow all couples to be able to choose when, where, how and by whom they are married.

As I'm sure you are aware, Marriage law was reformed in Scotland in 2005 to recognise humanist weddings and to give greater flexibility to those who did not want a 'traditional' wedding by licensing the registrar or celebrant rather than the venue. I believe that denying thousands of people the same options in England and Wales is unequal and unfair.

The current legal position on marriages in England and Wales is also increasing demand on civil registrars, who are already facing a backlog due to the coronavirus pandemic. This issue was raised in Parliament in June 2020. Disappointingly, the UK Government said it had no plans to change the current rules. I believe it must rethink this decision, in order to save couples who want a wedding which reflects their beliefs and values from having to have a second, civil wedding.

As you alluded to, the Law Commission is currently conducting a review into reforming wedding law. It ran a consultation from 3 September 2020 until 4 January 2021, and is now analysing the responses. The Law Commission had initially said it was aiming to publish a final report with recommendations by the end of 2021 but, disappointingly, this now appears to have been delayed until July 2022. The UK Government has recently said it will decide on provision for non-religious belief marriage on the basis of the Law Commission's recommendations.

I believe our marriage laws are outdated and in need of reform to reflect the diversity of beliefs and lifestyles in our society. I hope the Law Commission's recommendations reflect this and I will continue to follow this matter.

Thank you once again for raising this issue with me.

Yours sincerely,

Jeff Smith MP
Manchester Withington”