Tags: Marriage
NSS welcomes plan to give couples more freedom over where they marry
Posted: Thu, 03 Sep 2020
The NSS has welcomed Law Commission proposals for comprehensive reform of England and Wales's wedding laws. Read More »
Marriage law in England & Wales is discriminatory, High Court rules
Posted: Fri, 31 Jul 2020
The High Court has ruled that marriage law in England and Wales gives rise to discrimination on religion and belief grounds. Read More »
Success: government won’t extend same-sex marriage exemptions in NI
Posted: Fri, 17 Jul 2020
The government has confirmed businesses won't be able to refuse services for same-sex marriages in Northern Ireland after NSS lobbying. Read More »
Just 22% of marriages in England & Wales were religious in 2017
Posted: Tue, 14 Apr 2020
The proportion of marriages which are conducted as religious ceremonies has hit a historic low in England and Wales. Read More »
Don’t extend exemptions on same-sex marriage in NI, NSS warns
Posted: Thu, 05 Mar 2020
The NSS has warned that allowing providers of wedding services to opt out of serving same-sex couples would undermine equality law. Read More »
Islamic marriage invalid under English law, court rules
Posted: Thu, 20 Feb 2020
A ruling that a Muslim 'marriage' was void rather than a non-marriage has been overturned at the Court of Appeal. Read More »
NSS: don’t let religious groups discriminate on civil partnerships
Posted: Fri, 16 Aug 2019
The NSS has warned against allowing religious groups to host opposite-sex civil partnerships while opting out of hosting same-sex ones. Read More »
Government to crack down on illegal and failing independent schools
Posted: Tue, 12 Feb 2019
The NSS has welcomed government plans to promote integration by legislating against unregistered and failing independent schools. Read More »
Bishop helps scupper amendment to let CoE allow same-sex marriage
Posted: Thu, 07 Feb 2019
An amendment that would make it easier for the C of E to allow same-sex marriage has been withdrawn amid opposition from a bishop. Read More »
NSS backs call for review of role of sharia ‘courts’ in divorce
Posted: Tue, 14 Aug 2018
The NSS has backed calls for the government to withdraw divorce guidance which encourages women to turn to religious 'courts'. Read More »
High Court rules Muslim ‘marriage’ void rather than non-marriage
Posted: Tue, 07 Aug 2018
A woman who had a Muslim 'marriage' ceremony but not a civil one is entitled to a decree of nullity which rules her marriage void. Read More »
NSS renews call for marriage reform after civil partnerships ruling
Posted: Thu, 28 Jun 2018
The NSS has renewed its call for reform of England and Wales's marriage laws after a Supreme Court ruling on civil partnerships. Read More »
Thousands march for marriage equality in NI
Posted: Mon, 04 Jun 2018
Thousands of people attended two marches to call for marriage equality for same-sex couples in Northern Ireland on Saturday. Read More »
NSS: legal reform needed to tackle marriage provision inequalities
Posted: Fri, 01 Jun 2018
It is much harder to have a same-sex or non-religious wedding than a religious one in England and Wales, NSS research has revealed. Read More »
High Court rules against sharia-only divorce claim
Posted: Thu, 23 Feb 2017
The Family Division of the High Court has ruled against a man who claimed his marriage could only be dissolved under sharia, and that his wife must travel to Pakistan for a divorce. Read More »
Muslim women fight to change misogynistic Islamic divorce law in India
Posted: Wed, 13 Apr 2016
Muslim women in India are campaigning to ban 'triple talaq', the legally-recognised way in which a Muslim man can unilaterally divorce his wife, and they have taken their case to India's Supreme Court. Read More »
Call for Muslim women to be better informed about legal rights relating to marriage and divorce
Posted: Fri, 26 Feb 2016
A report from the Muslim Women's Network (MWNUK) has called for greater efforts to promote women's legal rights, warning that some Muslim men are using marriage and divorce as a "psychological tool against women". Read More »
Sikh Federation UK refuses to condemn “thugs” who forcibly stopped an interfaith marriage
Posted: Wed, 12 Aug 2015
Sikh Federation UK, the "leading" Sikh lobbying organisation, has refused to condemn the actions of a group of men who disrupted an interfaith wedding. Read More »
Wedding invitation company cites religious beliefs for refusing services to gay couple
Posted: Wed, 04 Jun 2014
The National Secular Society has said that legal action under equality legislation should be taken against a wedding stationer for refusing to serve a gay couple on religious grounds. Read More »
LibDem MP wants to separate marriage registration from religion
Posted: Wed, 10 Apr 2013
A Liberal Democrat MP, Greg Mulholland, has tabled an amendment to the proposed same-sex marriage bill proposing a complete separation of state marriage and religious weddings. Mr Mulholland argues that separating state and religious marriage is the only way to ensure equality and freedom of religion. Read More »
