Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer of 2nd September 2026, to question number 19530, on Marriages: Reform, whether the proposed system of checks will apply equally to all marriages regardless of the venue or type of ceremony.

As outlined in the Government’s consultation, Tying the Knot: Reforming weddings law in England and Wales, the proposed system of checks would be carried out through the civil preliminaries process. This would involve two stages: first, providing the required information and supporting evidence online when giving notice, followed by a compulsory separate in-person interview with a registrar. These checks would apply consistently regardless of the venue or type of ceremony for couples using that process.

Under the proposals, all couples would complete the civil preliminaries process, except those marrying through the Anglican route, for whom the existing Anglican preliminaries process would be retained