UK Parliament home

Open Require pre-marriage personal rights advice before religious marriage ceremonies

Created by Dr Saiqa Iftikhar Shah
Closes on

Mandate people having a religious marriage ceremony without legal recognition to receive pre-marriage safeguarding and personal legal rights advice covering legal marital status, financial, housing & inheritance rights, ways to access domestic abuse support, and written consent to their marriage.

People can enter religious-only marriages where the religious ceremony is only performed, without understanding that they may not have the same legal protections as spouses with a civil marriage.

This can leave people vulnerable following abuse, separation or bereavement. We want a mandatory pre-marriage process for people which informs them of their legal status, financial and housing rights, inheritance, how to access domestic abuse support, and to provide written consent to their marriage so they can make informed decisions before entering a religious-only marriage.

Sign this petition

30 signatures

Show on a map

10,000

Petition progress

View all updates for this petition, with the most recent first.

  • Petition published

    This petition can now be signed.

    If this petition gets 10,000 signatures, government will respond to it.

    If this petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

    This petition will stay open until 25 March 2027.