AMENDING MARRIAGE LAW

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1929, Page 10

AMENDING MARRIAGE LAW

THE DECEASED WIFE’S NEICE LEGALISATION OF THE CONTRACT, ANOMALIES AT PRESENT EXIST, (By Wire—Parliamentary Reporter.) . Wellington, Last Night, A Bill proposing an amendment of the Marriage Act has been introduced into the House of Representatives by Mr. H» G. R. Mason. The Bill legalises marriages with a deceased .wife’s niece or deceased’s husband’s nephew. Speaking, on the matter Mr. Mason re*, marked that many people would be eur-i prised to learn that it was illegal for & nian to marry his deceased wife's niece or for a woman to contract marriage with her deceased husband’s nephew. Ho believed that at different times peoplq standing in that relationship had married and were not aware they were committing an illegality. If marriage with a deceased wife’s sister was legal, thou marriage with a deceased wife’s niece should also be legal. The problem had been beipre the House 20 years ago and it was then decided that all marriages with a deceased wife’s niece which had occurred prior to that time should b® validated. That Act did not apply to any future marriages of that kind, however. The amendment he was proposing would legalise all such marriagesj whether contracted now or iu the future, Mr. Mason added, in reply to a question, that it would be very regrettable if the churches opposed the amendment, because marriage with a deceased wife’s sister had been legalised a long time ago and the matter had now become accepted by the whole community. There seemed to bo nothing whatever to bo said for retaining a prohibition of such a character when the community waa ignorant of its existence and when people- sometimes unwittingly transgressed the law. Such marriages as 110 was referring to did not conflict with the conscience of everyday life and it seemed to him io be clear that the law should be In accord with the conscience of the community and that the people should not have to adapt their con» sciences to a law that was practically obsolete. '

Mr, Mason did not think that thera would be any opposition to the proposal and ho did not look upon the matter afl beipg contentious. - He was sure none oi tho members of the House would con«' scientiously be against it;