Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill

Page 1, line 5, leave out “Marriage” and insert “Union”

Page 3, leave out lines 21 and 22

Insert the following new Clause—

“Conscientious objection

(1)   Subject to subsections (2) and (3), no registrar shall be under any duty,
whether by contract or by any statutory or other legal requirement, to
conduct, be present at, carry out, participate in, or consent to the taking
place of, a relevant marriage ceremony to which he has a conscientious
objection.

(2)   Nothing in subsection (1) shall affect the duty of each registration authority
to ensure that there is a sufficient number of relevant marriage registrars
for its area to carry out in that area the functions of relevant marriage
registrars.

(3)   The conscientious objection must be based on a sincerely held religious or
other belief.

(4)   In an legal proceedings the burden of proof of conscientious objection shall
rest on the person claiming to rely on it.”

Insert the following new Clause—

“Marriages at sea

In Section 26 (Marriages which may be solemnized on authority of
superintendent registrar’s certificate) of the Marriage Act 1949, after
subsection (1)(e) insert—

“(f)   a marriage of a same sex couple conducted by the Master of
a British ship registered under the Merchant Shipping Act
1995 while that ship is sailing outside of the territorial
waters of England and Wales.””