Our articles are written by experts in their field and include barristers, solicitors, judges, mediators, academics and professionals from a range of related disciplines. Family Law provides a platform for debate for all the important topics, from divorce and care proceedings to transparency and access to justice. If you would like to contribute please email emma.reitano@lexisnexis.co.uk.
Spotlight
A day in the life Of...
Read on

Neither sacred nor profane: the permitted content of civil marriage ceremonies

Date:24 SEP 2018
Third slide
Stephanie Pywell and Rebecca Probert

Key words: civil marriage – religious content – registration officers


The full version of this article will appear in Child and Family Law Quarterly, Vol 30, No 4

Find out more or request a free 1-week trial of Child and Family Law Quarterly. Please quote: 100482.




Most weddings celebrated in England and Wales now take place in civil ceremonies. While the governing legislation and regulations specify that the proceedings may not be ‘religious in nature’, guidance issued by the Registrar General indicates that incidental religious references may be included. In this article we provide the first empirical evidence of which vows and rituals are requested and permitted in practice, based on two surveys: one of couples who had recently had, or were planning, a civil marriage ceremony, and one of registration officers who conduct such ceremonies. Our findings show that the majority of registration officers are keen to provide a service that is both professional and personal. Most couples were very positive about their experience, and only a few reported that the vows or rituals that they had wished to include had not been permitted. However, while registration officers invariably stated that they would not permit religious content in civil ceremonies, there was considerable variation in practice as to what was categorized, or recognized, as religious. The results suggest that couples wishing to draw on the traditional version of the Church of England marriage service are more likely to be asked to re-word their vows than are those drawing on vows from other religions. We conclude with a number of proposals as to how the existing advice, guidance, regulations, and – ultimately – the law might be reformed.



This article has been accepted for publication in Child and Family Law Quarterly in Issue 4, Vol 30, Year 2018. The final published version of this article will be published and made publicly available here 24 months after its publication date, under a CC-BY-NC licence.





Emergency Remedies in the Family Courts
Emergency Remedies in the Family Courts
"A very good tool for the busy family lawyer"...
£519.99
Family Law
Family Law
"the principal (monthly) periodical dealing with...
£389
Family Court Practice, The
Family Court Practice, The
Order the 2024 edition
£807.99
Categories:
Articles CFLQ