[Magdalen] Supreme Court

[Roger Stokes]

On 29/06/2015 14:12, ME Michaud wrote:
> My understanding is that when clergy marry a couple they are
> doing so with a license from the State. That is, all marriages are
> civil marriages (though some are blessed by the clergy).

For a marriage to be recognized legally then the person officiating at 
it needs uo be authorised by the civil government to to so, and to 
ensure that the ceremony complies with legal requirements. What those 
requirements are will vary from place to place but are likely to include 
things like the couple being old enough, not too closely related and not 
already married or in a civil partnership.

In the USA one of the requirements is that the State has issued a 
license for the marriage. In the Church of England most marrisages are 
after ecclesiapreliminaries since these predate the establishment of a 
procedure for civil marriages.

What the Supreme Court has done is to drop one of those legal 
requirements - that the couple be of different genders (as officially 
recognized).  Religious organizations may impose extra requirements for 
marriages solemnised by one of their ministers.

Roger