Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill - Call for Evidence

Overview

The Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill has 2 main purposes. The first purpose of the Bill is to treat non-religious belief marriages in the same way as religious marriages, and Part 1 of the Bill makes the necessary amendments to the 2003 Order.

The second aspect of the Bill relates to the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership. Currently, it is possible for anyone aged 16 and 17 to marry or form a civil partnership with the relevant consents in place (usually, the consent of a parent). Part 2 of the Bill makes provision for this and introduces an offence of conduct relating to marriage of persons under 18. This offence will apply to any conduct that causes a child under the age of 18 who is habitually resident in Northern Ireland (or is a UK national who is not habitually resident or domiciled in Scotland) to enter into a marriage in Northern Ireland.

Why your views matter

As part of the Assembly’s legislative processes, the Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill has been referred to the Assembly’s Committee for Finance so that the Committee may consider and take evidence on the Bill and report its opinion to the Assembly.

The Committee is seeking views from stakeholders on the objectives, proposals and potential consequences of the Bill.

Your views will help to inform the Committee’s consideration of the Bill and any recommendations it may suggest as it moves to the next stage of the legislative process.

You do not have to complete the whole survey and can choose which sections to complete.

Useful links:

Committee Web Page

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