Marriage ‘by proxy’ to be abolished
The Civil Registration Bill, to be debated for the first time in the Dáil this week, will override present marriage law which dates back more than 150 years.
Under legislation dating back as far as 1844 either a bride or groom is permitted to be absent from marriages in registration offices and replaced by a nominated proxy. The rule does not apply to church marriages which must be attended by both parties.
A spokesperson for Social and Family Affairs Minister Mary Coughlan said registration procedures had remained largely unchanged since first introduced despite the significant changes in society.
However it is also understood that requiring the presence of both parties at marriage ceremonies will serve to clamp down on the possibilities for fraudulent, arranged marriages organised by illegal immigrants seeking to legitimise their presence in Ireland.
It is not known how many marriages availed of the opportunity to marry by proxy but it is thought the measure was first introduced to deal with arranged marriages in the past.
The proposed changes to marriage law come after the Government appointed an inter-departmental committee to review current procedures and re-examine marriage law in 2002.
The main issue identified by the committee was the need for a universally acceptable framework of clear and simple procedures to underpin the solemnity of the marriage contract.
Minister Coughlan said the overall marriage reforms would modernise the civil registration service and provide increased flexibility and access to services.
"Modern computer technology will make this system more accessible, faster, and more customer-focused," she said.
"Civil registration touches each and every one of us, beginning with the registration of our births to the registration of our deaths. In between our births and deaths, civil registration affects us all during our lives, both directly, as in the case of getting married, or indirectly, when certificates are required for many of the services available in society such as enrolling a child in school, taking up a job, or getting a passport," Minister Coughlan continued.
