Wedding bells can soon start to ring again now that the Scottish Conservatives have successfully amended legislation in the Scottish Parliament so that the ban on marriages taking place in Scotland can be lifted.
Although there was no formal prevention in place, registrars had stopped taking weddings for fear of being overwhelmed by the volume of work in registering deaths.
Now Scottish Conservative MSP Adam Tomkins has had amendments to the Coronavirus legislation accepted in Holyrood that will require steps to be taken to ensure weddings and civil partnerships can go ahead.
Ceremonies will have to be performed in accordance with attendance restrictions and social distancing measures—there can be no quick return to large weddings parties.
But the right to marry is a civil right—a blanket ban on all weddings is disproportionate, and thanks to the Scottish Conservatives we can now strike a better balance between allowing people to get married, and keeping Coronavirus under control.
Scottish Conservative MSP Graham Simpson said:
“The fundamental right for a couple to get married is a human right, and not one that should be unfairly restricted.
“This may seem like a small matter in the face of the continued crisis, but it is a symbol of hope for the future.
“There are plenty of places in Scotland where couples can safely get married, with the required three other people in attendance, and a necessary social distance.
“There are couples around Scotland who want to take this next step in their lives, and now, we hope, they will be able to.
“Wedding bells can soon start to ring again and couples can move forward with their lives.”
