Tell the Government: legally recognise humanist marriages in England and Wales

Humanist weddings are legally recognised in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Jersey, and Guernsey. Parliament voted in 2013 to pave the way for them in England and Wales, but eight years on, we are still waiting.

Humanist couples should have the same rights to have a legally recognised marriage in line with their beliefs as their religious counterparts.

In July 2020, the High Court ruled, in a case brought by six humanist couples, that the failure to provide legally recognised humanist marriages means that ‘the present law gives rise to… discrimination’ and in light of that, the Secretary of State for Justice ‘cannot… simply sit on his hands’ and do nothing.  But legal recognition is yet to follow.

We are calling on the UK Government to act now and without delay to legally recognise humanist marriages in England and Wales.