The Law Commission for England & Wales has published Getting Married: A Scoping  Paper. In December 2014 the Government asked the Commission to conduct a review of the law governing how and where people can marry in England and Wales. The underlying question was whether the current law provides a fair and coherent legal framework for enabling people to marry. Does the law allow people to marry in a way which meets their needs and wishes while recognising the interests of society and the state in protecting the status of marriage? The Commission conducted a preliminary study involving research into domestic and comparative law and engagement with key stakeholders to identify and provide an initial analysis of the issues that needed to be addressed in order to develop proposals for reform. Continue reading →