The Ministry of Justice says that legal recognition of humanist weddings would require creating a new category of “belief marriages” (Stephen Fry and Sandi Toksvig lead call for recognition of humanist marriages, 18 April), ignoring the fact that already in 2013 it has legislated for just that. It cites the need not to discriminate against (for example) Muslims and Hindus, whose religious ceremonies are not recognised in law, ignoring the fact that any religion can register its places of worship for legally recognised weddings.
Humanists, however, depend entirely on the government fulfilling what was virtually a promise at the final stage of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013. Instead, we are asked for patience – after 20 years of parliamentary campaigning, overwhelming public, and indeed parliamentary, support and two Law Commission reports finding nothing to stand in the way.
The problem is that marriage law is a jumble of acts and amendments to acts dating back to 1753. The Law Commission’s latest recommendations cover every aspect of the law and will undoubtedly require endless consultations and drafts. Meanwhile, the 2013 act requires only that the government lay an order in parliament, the professional drafting of which Humanists UK has already looked after.
David Pollock
Stoke Newington, London
