MARRIAGE OF COUSINS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 14 February 1921, Page 5

MARRIAGE OF COUSINS

CASE BEFORE PRIVY COUNCIL

BY CABLE—PEESS ASSCJCIATIOSi^OOPYEIGHT (Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.)

LONDON, Feb 12

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council has finally- disposed of the seven-year-old case., Despatie v. Temblay, in -which a, husband sought to nullify hiß marriage on the ground that he and his wife, who are Roman Catholics, were cousins, thongh only in a fourth degree. The Canadian Court held that tlie civil code of Quebec uj£heLj the Papal law enacted by a Lateran council in 1215, which declared such marriages invalid.

Baron Moulton, in delivering jiKigment, said there was complete religious liberty in Canada, and though a priest could, refuse to solemnise a marriage this. di<i not prevent people from marrying. /There was nothing in the civil code to enable a marriage to be annulled because a religious body objected, and therefore the appeal would be allowed.