MARRIAGE LAWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17230, 22 December 1923, Page 1

MARRIAGE LAWS.

THE NE TEMERE DECREE BILL. Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Assooiation. SYDNEY, December 21. The Ne Temere Decree Bill provides, firstly, the legalisation of marriage between any widower and his deceased wife s sister, or, conversely, of snar: raige by a widow with her deceased husband s brother, secondly, it makes it an offence to deny or impugn the validity of a lawful marriage, or to omit, on the re-marriage of persons already lawfully mai ried, reference in the certificate to the fact that the parties already had been maiTied. A penalty of £IOO is provided either alone or with imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve monthe and disqualification from the celebration of marriage is provided for such offences. Mr T. J. Ley, Minister of Justice, moving the second reading of the Bill, said that during his short term of office over twenty cases had como under his notice that would have been dealt with under provisions inserted in the Bill. He read statutory declarations made in connection with several of these cases, showing that moral pressure had been brought to bear to secure the re-marriage in 'a Roman Catholic Church where one of the parlies was a Roman Cathblic and the other a Protestant. He also read lengthy correspondence he had had with Archbishop Kelly, to whom he had submitted a draft of the Bill for suggestions, and to which the Archbishop had suggested a number of amendments. Mr Ley denied that the measure y-as sectarian, or aimed at any particular sect, or specially at the Ne Temere Decree. There was a good deal of interruption and uproar during Mr Ivey’s speech, several members being warned. Mr J. T. Lang, leader of the Opposition, strongly denounced the Bill as sectarian pandering to a few poor bigots. He declared that if it were passed it would be ignored, as the New Zealand Act had been ignored. Colonel Bruxner, leader ‘of the Progressive Party, promised that party’s support for the Bill The debate was adjourned by the application of the closure, and as the session lias ended the Bill goe* over to next session. A lively reception is anticipated for the further stages.