BE IT ENACTED by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Short Title
This Act may be cited as the Marriage Act (2019).

Long Title
This Act shall be officially known as the Recognition of Marriages Act of 2019.

Definitions

1. Civil union: legal relationship between two people that provides legal protections of inheritance to a couple.

2. Marriage: the legally or formally recognized union of two people as partners in a personal relationship, in which they are granted the legal protections of inheritance and recognition of titles.

3. Divorce/Separation: the legal dissolution of a marriage or union, in which legal protections of inheritance would expire.

4. Inactivity: Thirty days from the loss of citizenship of one party.

5. Desertion: When a party has left the other party without their consent for at least two weeks.

6. Abuse: Where one party commits emotional abuse on the other party, this does not limit other potential types of abuse as grounds.

7. Irreconcilable differences: A no-fault grounds for divorce, which means neither party committed any sort of extenuating act, however there is not a hope of reconciliation as measured by a reasonable persons test.

Recognition

1.All marriages, civil and religious, may be legally recognized by the Government of the Kingdom of Great Britain.

a. Any citizen may apply to the Home Office for a certificate of marriage.
b. Citizens may request any Home Office official to officiate over non-religious marriages.
c. The Government must recognize all religious marriages under its legal protections.

2. Upon marriage, one partner may use the other's surname or the individuals may hyphenate their names together in accordance to the internal rules of their families.

3. Any citizen may apply to the Home Office for a certificate of civil union.

Limitations

1. No person may be legally married to more than one person.

2. Neither the Government nor any person, firm, or corporation shall deny any person marriage, civil union, or recognition thereof on the basis of sexuality, gender, race, or political belief.
a. This shall not apply to religious institutions, and they retain the right and freedom to marry and solemnize marriages based on their own religious convictions.

3. The Home Office may not recognize marriages in the Royal Family that have been rejected by the Sovereign.

Divorce and Separation

1. Individuals in religious marriages that wish to divorce must follow the procedures established by their religion
a. Upon being granted divorce, the individuals may notify the Government, who shall recognize that marriage as dissolved.
b. Upon divorce, a former spouse can no longer use the other's surname in accordance to the internal rules of their families.
c. If an individual leaves the religion they can apply for a divorce as per section two.
d. If a marriage was conducted or agreed upon outside of the Kingdom of Great Britain, an application for a marriage certificate may still be made, and will be considered valid so long as at least one spouse is a citizen of the Kingdom of Great Britain.

2. Individuals in non-religious marriages must apply for a certificate of divorce to the Home Office.
a. Both parties must consent to the divorce upon application.
b. If the divorce is disputed by one of the parties either party can apply to the Supreme Court to decide if the divorce should be granted under the following grounds: inactivity, desertion, abuse, or irreconcilable differences.
c. The Supreme Court if it grants a divorce will set a cooling down period of two weeks before the divorce is final.
d. Upon divorce, a former spouse can no longer use the other's surname in accordance to the internal rules of their families.

3. Individuals in civil unions that wish to separate must apply for a certificate of dissolution of union.
a. Only one party must consent to the separation upon application otherwise specified in the act.

Grandfather Clause

1. All marriages and unions that occurred before the passage of this act shall receive full recognition by the Government.