Same-sex marriages

Wednesday 5 September 2012

CONFIRMING a bill permitting same-sex marriage, an issue that has spawned a fierce debate in recent months, might have been expected to be greeted by fresh outbursts from both sides.

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But the announcement of the Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill as part of the next legislative programme was received with barely a comment last night. The Equality Network issued no statement and Tim Hopkins, when approached, said: "We very much welcome the announcement about the bill.

"It is very much in line with what the Government said they would do in July, so it's good to see ministers doing what they said they would."The Catholic Church, so vociferous in recent months, issued no fresh statement of condemnation of the bill. John Deighan, parliamentary officer, said the Church's contributions to the debate had met such a "shrill" reaction that while they remained strongly opposed to the bill, they were now concentrating on the issue of the supposed guarantees on freedom of religion, speech and education."We are in discussion now with lawyers looking at what any safeguards might mean in practices. That is our main consideration. The question is the nuts and bolts of how we can obtain the protections the Government has promised."The bill will go beyond allowing same-sex couples to marry. It will also create a third category of marriage or civil partnership, adding "belief" ceremonies to religious and civil ceremonies to take account of the huge number of humanist celebrants who feel they belong to neither of the existing categories.There will be other technical changes, such as allowing Church of Scotland deacons to conduct weddings.On personal conscience in relation to same-sex marriages, the Government stressed: "The aim is to protect individual celebrants taking a different view from a religious body which has agreed to carry out same-sex marriages."We are working with the UK Government to secure agreement to such an amendment before the formal introduction of a bill to Parliament, with a view to it being in place before the legislation comes into force."

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Same-sex marriages

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