2013-2014-2015 

 

The Parliament of the 

Commonwealth of Australia 

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

 

 

 

 

Presented and read a first time 

 

 

 

 

Marriage Amendment (Marriage 

Equality) Bill 2015 

 

No.      , 2015 

 

(Mr Shorten) 

 

 

 

A Bill for an Act to amend the Marriage Act 1961 to 

establish marriage equality, and for related 

purposes 

   

   

 

 

No.      , 2015 

Marriage Amendment (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015 

i 

 

Contents 

1 

Short title ........................................................................................... 1

 

2 

Commencement ................................................................................. 1

 

3 

Objects ............................................................................................... 2

 

4 

Schedules ........................................................................................... 2

 

Schedule 1--Amendments

 

3

 

Marriage Act 1961

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

No.      , 2015 

Marriage Amendment (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015 

1 

 

A Bill for an Act to amend the Marriage Act 1961 to 

1 

establish marriage equality, and for related 

2 

purposes 

3 

The Parliament of Australia enacts: 

4 

1  Short title 

5 

 

  This Act may be cited as the Marriage Amendment (Marriage 

6 

Equality) Act 2015. 

7 

2  Commencement 

8 

 

(1)  Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table 

9 

commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with 

10 

column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect 

11 

according to its terms. 

12 

 

13 

   

   

 

 

2 

Marriage Amendment (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015 

No.      , 2015 

 

Commencement information 

Column 1 

Column 2 

Column 3 

Provisions 

Commencement 

Date/Details 

1.  The whole of 

this Act 

The day after this Act receives the Royal 

Assent. 

 

Note: 

This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally 

1 

enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of 

2 

this Act. 

3 

 

(2)  Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. 

4 

Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it 

5 

may be edited, in any published version of this Act. 

6 

3  Objects 

7 

 

  The object of this Act is to allow Australians to marry regardless of 

8 

their sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status. 

9 

4  Schedules 

10 

 

  Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or 

11 

repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule 

12 

concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect 

13 

according to its terms. 

14 

Amendments  Schedule 1 

   

 

 

No.      , 2015 

Marriage Amendment (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015 

3 

 

Schedule 1

--Amendments 

1 

   

2 

Marriage Act 1961 

3 

1  Subsection 5(1) (definition of marriage) 

4 

Repeal the definition, substitute: 

5 

marriage means the union of two people to the exclusion of all 

6 

others, voluntarily entered into for life. 

7 

2  Paragraphs 23(2)(b) and 23B(2)(b) 

8 

Omit "a brother and a sister", substitute "siblings". 

9 

3  Subsection 45(2) 

10 

After "husband", insert ", or partner". 

11 

4  Subsection 46(1) 

12 

Omit "a man and a woman", substitute "two people". 

13 

5  Section 47 

14 

After "Nothing in this Part", insert "or in any other law". 

15 

6  At the end of section 47 

16 

Add: 

17 

Note: 

One effect of paragraph (a) is that a minister of religion cannot be 

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required to solemnise a marriage where the parties to the marriage are 

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of the same sex. 

20 

7  Subsection 72(2) 

21 

After "husband", insert ", or partner". 

22 

8  Section 88EA 

23 

Repeal the section. 

24 

9  Part III of the Schedule (table item 1) 

25 

Omit "a husband and wife", substitute "two people". 

26 

Schedule 1  Amendments 

   

 

 

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Marriage Amendment (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015 

No.      , 2015 

 

10  Regulations may make consequential amendments of 

1 

Acts 

2 

(1) 

The Governor-General may make regulations amending Acts (including 

3 

the Marriage Act 1961) being amendments that are consequential on, or 

4 

that otherwise relate to, the amendments made by this Schedule. The 

5 

amendments may be made by directly amending the text of an Act. 

6 

(2) 

The Governor-General may make regulations prescribing matters of a 

7 

transitional nature (including prescribing any saving or application 

8 

provisions) relating to any amendments made by regulations under 

9 

subitem (1). 

10 

(3) 

Despite subsection 12(2) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 (as in 

11 

force immediately before the commencement of Schedule 1 to the Acts 

12 

and Instruments (Framework Reform) Act 2015), regulations made for 

13 

the purposes of this item may be expressed to take effect from a date 

14 

before the regulations are registered under that Act. 

15 

(4) 

Subsection 12(2) (retrospective application of legislative instruments) 

16 

of the Legislation Act 2003, as in force on and after the commencement 

17 

of Schedule 1 to the Acts and Instruments (Framework Reform) Act 

18 

2015, does not apply in relation to regulations made for the purposes of 

19 

this item. 

20 

(5) 

To avoid doubt, amendments of an Act made by regulations for the 

21 

purposes of subitem (1) can be incorporated into a reprint or 

22 

compilation of the Act. 

23