Project discussion: Same sex marriage
Marriage (Equality) Amendment Bill
Member's Bill
Explanatory Note
TBA
Marriage (Equality) Amendment Bill
The Parliament of New Zealand enacts as follows:
1. Title
This Act is the Marriage (Equality) Amendment Act 2009.
2. Commencement
This Act comes into force on 1 April 2010.
3. Purpose
The purpose of this Act is to amend the Marriage Act 1955 to provide for same-sex marriage.
4. Principal Act Amended
This Act amends the Marriage Act 1955.
5. Section 3 Amended
Section 3 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting the following subsection after subsection (1):
(1A) Two people may marry under this Act if they are of different or the same sex.
6. Schedule substituted
Schedule 2 of the Principal Act is repealed and the following new schedule substituted:
Schedule 2
Prohibited degrees of Marriage
1 Person A and person B are within the prohibited degrees of marriage if person A is person B's
- grandparent
- parent
- child
- grandchild
- sibling
- parent's sibling
- sibling's child
- grandparent's spouse or civil union partner
- parent's spouse or civil union partner
- spouse's or civil union partner's parent
- spouse's or civil union partner's grandparent
- spouse's or civil union partner's child
- child's spouse or civil union partner
- grandchild's spouse or civil union partner
- spouse's or civil union partner's grandchild
2 The prohibited degrees of marriage apply whether the relationships described are by the whole blood or by the half blood.
3 In this schedule, spouse and civil union partner includes a former spouse or former civil union partner, whether alive or deceased, and whether the marriage or civil union was terminated by death, dissolution, or otherwise.
(Compare 2004 No 102 Schedule 2 )
