Baroness Levitt KC, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, has responded to a letter of 22 October from Andy Slaughter, Chair of the House of Commons Justice Committee, on the Government’s recent announcement on the legal recognition of humanist marriages in England and Wales and the Government’s proposed consultation on cohabitation.

On humanist weddings, she confirmed that the Government remains fully committed to legal recognition for humanist marriages in England and Wales; however, “[a]fter careful consideration, the Government has decided not to use the existing order-making power under the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 legally to recognise humanist weddings”. Continue reading →