Restrict Weddings Allow Marriage

Below are various options that would preserve the our civil rights by allowing marriage to be possible during the pandemic while also posses little to no risk to public health.

Option 1: Permit Remote Marriage Registration
Allow the submission of marriage notices and documents via email/online and for weddings to be conducted by a registrar via an online platform with digital signatures and a video feed. This poses zero risk to public health and would allow those with a pressing need or desire to marry the ability to do so. No risk to public health and one civil liberty restored.

Option 2: Zero Contact Socially Distanced Marriage
Consider setting up one registry office in each district which is permitted to register a marriage. The registrar will be able to conduct the wedding behind a screen at a distance greater than 2m. Only the couple is allowed to be present at the ceremony where their signature is filmed. Each witness is then brought in individually, is played the signature and ceremony they are witnessing and signs. This way social distancing is maintained and registrars are never placed at risk. Civil liberty are restored with virtually no risk to public health.

Option 3: Allow marriage under time critical cases
Create one designated registry service for marriages wherein there is a good reason why marriage cannot be postponed which are set up to maintain social distancing (i.e. no contact between witnesses, registrar and couple within the building). For example allow marriage for terminally ill, those on fiance visas and those due for military deployment or other exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the registrar general. Therefore marriage is opened to those who are hit hardest by the marriage ban.

The prohibition on large gatherings such as weddings is in the public interest from a public health perspective. However completely banning marriage altogether is an extreme and unprecedented intrusion on civil liberties. Marriage is also important for legal reasons such as for visas (fiance visas), tax benefits (marriage allowance), enhancing relationships, family cohesion and is extremely important for many religious groups. The right to marry is a very fundamental civil liberty and one of our most cherished ceremonies. Preventing public gatherings that spread COVID is one thing but completely and absolutely outlawing marriage is a much more extreme restriction on liberty.

I strongly believe that the government should do everything possible to minimise the impact of lock-down while protecting public health. It is clearly possible for marriages to take place during the pandemic period without posing any risk to public health. The government should work to find a way to permit marriage while practising social distancing.