NEW MARRIAGE LAWS FOR DENMARK

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 310, 24 September 1921, Page 5

NEW MARRIAGE LAWS FOR DENMARK

HEALTH CERTIFICATES TO BE PROVIDED. In au interview with the “Social Demokraten," (he Danish Minister of ‘Justice, M. Rytter, broadly outlined a marriage law amendment Bill which he proposes to introduce next session. The main features seem to be freedom of choice as to whether the marriage ceremony shall be civil or ecclesiastical, against th® present regulations which only allow a civil ceremony when one of the parties is not attached to the Danish Church, or when they belong to different denominations. Parties seeking divorce will be allowed to choose whether the divorce shall be hv tho law courts'or as at present by the Minister of Justice. The present immediate divorce can be granted on the grounds of dishonourable action or unfaithfulness; and in the latter case perintssion to remarry immediately may be granted provided tho marriage is not with the co-respondent in tho ease. Divorces on the ground of temperamental differences will be continued, ami tho period io 'elapse before remarriage wilt Bo reduced from three years to eighteen months. Before marriage is allowed both parties must provide medical certificates as fo venereal diseases, epilepsy, and certain other complaints. Certain alterations are proposed ns to tho degrees of consanguinity within which marriage may take place. For I instance, tho voting widow of an aged husband will be permitted to contract marriage with her .deceased husbands son, while the anomaly will bo removed whicli exists under the present law that while a woman- can marry her deceased jparriage with her deceased husband’s of her sister, a man cannot marry his deceased brother’s wife or the dilorced wife of his brother. Under the now law tho same permission will apply to both sexes.