2010‑2011‑2012

The Parliament of the

Commonwealth of Australia

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Presented and read a first time

Marriage Amendment Bill 2012

No.      , 2012

(Mr Stephen Jones)

A Bill for an Act to amend the Marriage Act 1961 to establish marriage equality for same‑sex couples, and for related purposes

Contents

1  Short title........................................................................................................ 1

2  Commencement.............................................................................................. 1

3  Objects........................................................................................................... 2

4  Schedule(s).................................................................................................... 2

Schedule 1—Amendment of the Marriage Act 1961                             3

A Bill for an Act to amend the Marriage Act 1961 to establish marriage equality for same‑sex couples, and for related purposes

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Short title

                   This Act may be cited as the Marriage Amendment Act 2012.

2  Commencement

                   This Act commences on the day after it receives the Royal Assent..

3  Objects

                   The object of this Act is to amend the Marriage Act 1961 to ensure equal access to marriage for all adult couples irrespective of sex who have a mutual commitment to a shared life.

4  Schedule(s)

                   Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Amendment of the Marriage Act 1961

1  Subsection 5(1) (definition of marriage)

Repeal the definition, substitute:

marriage means the union of two people, regardless of their sex, to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.

2  Subsection 46(1)

Omit “a man and a woman”, substitute “two people”.

3 Section 47

After paragraph (a), insert:

                    (aa)  imposes an obligation on an authorised celebrant, being a minister of religion, to solemnise a marriage where the parties to the marriage are of the same sex; or

4  Section 88EA

Repeal the section.

5  Part III of the Schedule (table item 1)

Omit “a husband and wife”, substitute “two people”.