Debate Over Marriage Laws Intensifies Amid Controversy Over NHS Guidance on Cousin Marriages
The conversation surrounding marriage laws in the UK has gained momentum, fueled by a campaign group’s demand for stronger civil marriage frameworks and an NHS article that sparked public outcry. The Coalition for Marriage (C4M) has voiced concerns about potential threats to the legal protections offered to women and children by the current marriage laws.
On Wednesday, C4M criticized Minister for Courts Sarah Sackman for her assertion that Shariah councils are akin to Christian, Jewish, and other faith-based courts. The group emphasized that only civil marriages grant legal rights in the UK, contrasting Christian and Jewish ceremonies, which are legally recognized, with Shariah marriages that require a civil marriage to be legally valid.
According to C4M, “Stop legitimizing private forums as ‘courts’ in official speech,” asserting there is no legal equivalence with family courts. The coalition urged Sackman to correct her statements in Parliament, highlighting that the current situation risks legitimizing a parallel system outside UK law.
A government review previously cautioned against labeling Shariah councils as “courts,” and C4M pointed to a case detailed by The Times (U.K.) involving a Shariah marriage between a convicted rapist and his 15-year-old victim, underscoring the need for a unified civil marriage law.
The recent controversy was further fueled by an NHS article that discussed “benefits” of first-cousin marriage, later retracted following criticism from Health Secretary Wes Streeting. The C4M called the NHS statement “wrong” and stressed the need for science-led communications regarding consanguinity risks.
In response to these issues, C4M is advocating for compulsory civil marriage before or during any religious ceremony, with penalties for non-compliance, and sanctions for officials facilitating unregistered or child marriages. “A civil marriage gives both spouses the protections that private ceremonies simply do not,” said C4M, promoting the idea of one law of marriage for all.
The proposals have sparked debate online, with John Stevens of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC) expressing concern over potential impacts on religious freedom, stating, “It essentially means you cannot dissent from state-sanctioned marriage even in the private sphere.”
This article was originally published at Christian Today
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
