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Humanist weddings
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If you wish to get married in England or Wales, you have a choice between a religious ceremony or a registrar. Humanist celebrants conduct many weddings every year, but these must be supplemented by a register office ceremony because the service itself has no legal validity. A similar situation exists in Northern Ireland. Under current legislation, humanist weddings must be supplemented by an additional legally recognised civil ceremony. We want reform of the law to make humanist weddings legal marriages, as they now are in Scotland. |
Arrange a wedding ceremony that suits you with the BHA's accredited celebrants |
What are we doing?
We have long campaigned to have humanist marriages recognised in law. As our network of trained humanist celebrants continues to grow, responding to the increasing demand for humanist weddings, there is more enthusiasm than ever to have legal validity. We believe that the current marriage law discriminates against humanists, who should be treated equally to religious people under UK equality and human rights law.
In May 2007 the BHA met with the Registrar-General, and again put forward our position. We are continuing to seek ways to reform the law, either through primary legislation or changes to the interpretation of the current law based on equal treatment and human rights arguments.
In 2009, the BHA made a submission to the parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR), requesting an inquiry in to marriage law in England and Wales and, specifically, the continuing discrimination against humanists.
What can you do?
Use our automated system to write to your MP to support Early Day Motion 667 calling for Humanist wedding ceremonies in England and Wales to have legal recognition and no longer require an additional registry office ceremony
Write to your MP explaining that the existing marriage laws discriminate against humanists, and asking him/her to raise the matter with Ministers. It would be particularly helpful if couples who have had a humanist wedding ceremony as well as a civil ceremony, or who are planning a humanist ceremony could write to their MPs to say how they felt they were or are being discriminated against.
Please copy your letter and any reply you get to the BHA.
You can support the BHA by becoming a member. That helps in itself, and you can help even more by supporting our campaigns in the ways suggested above. But campaigns also cost money – quite a lot of money – and we also need financial support. You can make a donation to the BHA.
