I have a question for the noble Baroness. If I understand her proposed new clause correctly, at the beginning there is a conscientious objection subsection. There is also an obligation on public authorities to provide registrars. The proposed clause then states that if there are not enough registrars in the area, the conscience exemption is dropped and the registrar will have to perform the marriage regardless. That is the worst of both worlds. There is the illusion of a conscience exemption, but if there are not enough registrars, the poor person about whom the noble Baroness spoke will have to perform the marriage in any case. Perhaps the noble Baroness will tell me if I got that right or whether she has a different interpretation.
Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill
Proceeding contribution from
Lord Alli
(Labour)
in the House of Lords on Monday, 17 June 2013.
It occurred during Committee of the Whole House (HL), Debate on bills and Committee proceeding on Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill.
Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
746 c107 
Session
2013-14
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
Subjects
Librarians' tools
Timestamp
2014-03-31 11:59:54 +0100
URI
http://hansard.intranet.data.parliament.uk/Lords/2013-06-17/1306188000028
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