2013-2014 

 

The Parliament of the 

Commonwealth of Australia 

 

THE SENATE 

 

 

 

 

Presented and read a first time 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recognition of Foreign Marriages Bill 

2014 

 

No.      , 2014 

 

(Senator Hanson-Young) 

 

 

 

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

and for related purposes 

   

   

 

 

No.      , 2014 

Recognition of Foreign Marriages Bill 2014 

i 

 

Contents 

1 

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

 

2 

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

 

3 

Object ................................................................................................. 2

 

4 

Schedule(s) ........................................................................................ 2

 

Schedule 1--Same-sex marriages solemnised in a foreign 

country

 

3

 

Marriage Act 1961

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

No.      , 2014 

Recognition of Foreign Marriages Bill 2014 

1 

 

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

1 

and for related purposes 

2 

The Parliament of Australia enacts: 

3 

1  Short title 

4 

 

  This Act may be cited as the Recognition of Foreign Marriages Act 

5 

2014. 

6 

2  Commencement 

7 

 

  This Act commences on the day after this Act receives the Royal 

8 

Assent. 

9 

   

   

 

 

2 

Recognition of Foreign Marriages Bill 2014 

No.      , 2014 

 

3  Object 

1 

 

  The object of this Act is to recognise same-sex marriages 

2 

solemnised in a foreign country. 

3 

4  Schedule(s) 

4 

 

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

5 

repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule 

6 

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

7 

according to its terms. 

8 

Same-sex marriages solemnised in a foreign country  Schedule 1 

   

 

 

No.      , 2014 

Recognition of Foreign Marriages Bill 2014 

3 

 

Schedule 1

--Same-sex marriages solemnised 

1 

in a foreign country 

2 

   

3 

Marriage Act 1961 

4 

1  Section 88EA 

5 

Repeal the section, substitute: 

6 

88EA  Certain unions recognised as marriages 

7 

 

(1)  Despite the definition of marriage in subsection 5(1), a union 

8 

between: 

9 

 

(a)  a man and another man; or 

10 

 

(b)  a woman and another woman; 

11 

solemnised in a foreign country under local law as a marriage is 

12 

recognised as a marriage in Australia. 

13 

 

(2)  The parties to a union mentioned in subsection (1) have the same 

14 

rights and obligations under this Act, or under any law of the 

15 

Commonwealth, as the parties to a marriage between a man and a 

16 

woman. 

17