The Marriage Laws.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 268, 20 March 1894, Page 2

The Marriage Laws.

■♦ ' . . -. ■ . ■ AN ABSUBD RELIC OF THE PAST. For the benefit of whom it may concern, we mention an important judicial decision on the great' question of whether a marriage in a church is legal when the doors of the church have been closed during the ceremony. The point came before the Supreme Court of South Australia iv a charge of bigamy. To help the case of his client (the prisoner) Mr Glynn took . the objection that a marriage celebrated in a church with the doors closed is null and void. The defence broke down on the facts, but the material point is that it was sustained as a statement of the law. Mr Justice Boucaut, who tried the prisoner, conferred with his colleague, Mr Justice Bundey, on the subject, and the opinion of both was expressed as being that " if the doors were closed or one witness was absent the marriage would be void." In passing sentepce Mr Justice Boucaut, evidently appreciating the gravity of his decision/said he wished to draw the special attention of the Government and ministers of religion to the requirements of the Marriage Act. In future, he declared, he would consider invalid any marriage that was conducted in a church with closed doors. There was no necessity for opening all the doors, but the church should be so far open that the public could freely enter and witness the ceremony if they wished.