More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A Medway MP has introduced a bill in the House of Commons today to bring about legal recognition of humanist marriages in England and Wales.
The successful passing of the Marriage (Authorised Belief Organisation) Bill would mean people who wish to be wedded at a humanist ceremony will not have to then attend a registry office afterwards to make the marriage legally binding.
Rehman Chishti, MP for Gillingham and Rainham , was the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief until he resigned last month.
Quoted on the Humanist UK site, Mr Chishti said: "The lack of legal recognition of humanist marriages in England and Wales is discrimination, pure and simple.
"This matter has been under review for some seven years now, and that’s more than long enough.
"My Bill would bring about legal recognition of humanist marriages within three months of its passage, thus enabling the many who want a legally recognised humanist marriage to be able to have one now.
"It would not prevent further changes to the law, after the completion of the present Law Commission review, but would remedy the present discrimination."
It comes after a couple from Kent were among six to battle at the High Court in July in a bid to make humanist weddings legally recognised.
Victoria Hosegood, 29, and Charli Janeway, 30, from Tonbridge , faced High Court judges to argue their case that people wanting humanist weddings deserved the same rights for marital recognition as that of other belief systems.
But the couple were left frustrated by the High Court's decision.
Mrs Justice Eady DBE ruled that the failure to give legal recognition humanist marriages means that "the present law gives rise to…discrimination".
She also ruled that the Secretary of State for Justice "cannot…simply sit on his hands" and do nothing about the difference in the way non-religious marriages are treated.
However, the judge refused to formally declare the government had acted unlawfully because a review is currently being carried out by the Law Commission.
Reacting to Mr Chishti's bill being introduced into the Commons, Victoria said: "We're surprised and happy - it's a bit of an unexpected development.
"We were kind of resigned to the fact that we didn't win the case and we'd have to wait a long while.
Charli added: "It's given us quite a positive outlook now, instead of a 'wait and see' it certainly seems like something's happening, the cogs are turning a little bit so there's a light at the end of the tunnel."
The couple have been waiting to tie the knot until it was possible to have a legally recognised humanist wedding in Kent, but after the High Court quashed the case they were considering planning a trip up to Scotland instead, where humanist marriages are already bound by law.
But with a second reading of the bill set for January 15, 2021, the couple could well be able to organise their dream wedding in Kent next year.
Victoria commended Mr Chishti for his decision to bring the bill to the Commons.
She said: "What he said was so strongly worded, so I'm very proud of our Kent MP."
Charli jokily said: "It's quite nice to have an MP on your side for a change isn't it."
He added: "It's a huge law change and I think it would be great, it's nice to have a bit of positivity in such a dire and uncertain time."
Parliament gave government the power to legally recognise humanist weddings in 2013, but so far it has not been enacted.
Since then more than 6,000 couples have had humanist ceremonies which have not been recognised by law.
Mixed-sex couples were able to enter civil partnerships for the first time in 2019, due to similar campaign to change the law.
