Forced into a dress and shoved down the aisle to marry a man you have never met; it’s hard to believe this is legal. The current laws around marriage are outdated and have many grey areas. Not only are these laws outdated, but certain sections of legislation contradict each other making the laws extremely unclear and open to interpretation; a perfect example is the legislation surrounding arranged marriage in Australia, or more the lack of legislation around this topic. Currently there is no legislation specifically for arranged marriages. The only legislation remotely regarding arranges marriage is the elements of marriage stated in Marriage Act 1961 - Sect 5 (Cth). The nature of marriage and family law is constantly changing to meet the demands of society and to reflect changing social, cultural, ethical and moral values; unfortunately when it comes to arranged marriages nothing is being done. The main purpose of family law is to recognise and regulate family relationships; a family is recognised as two or more persons, one of whom is aged 15 years and over, who are
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It is very difficult to tell if there is genuine consent given in arranged marriages, so there needs to be some form of consultation with each party individually to ensure the marriage is not forced. It is clear that many couples are severely pressured by their parents; this is why having individual consultation is so important. Having an individual consultation gives both parties an opportunity to voice their actual opinion without having to worry about their parents (theweek.co.uk, 2014). For this to work practically couples who have known each other less than three months must go through the consultation process and receive a signed document stating they are genuinely consenting. This signed document will be given to the celebrant at the same time as the notice of intended
It is very difficult to tell if there is genuine consent given in arranged marriages, so there needs to be some form of consultation with each party individually to ensure the marriage is not forced. It is clear that many couples are severely pressured by their parents; this is why having individual consultation is so important. Having an individual consultation gives both parties an opportunity to voice their actual opinion without having to worry about their parents (theweek.co.uk, 2014). For this to work practically couples who have known each other less than three months must go through the consultation process and receive a signed document stating they are genuinely consenting. This signed document will be given to the celebrant at the same time as the notice of intended