UK may soon ban cousin marriages

A bill to ban first-cousin marriages in the UK will be presented in the British Parliament today.

The Independent talked to Conservative former minister Richard Holden, who has called for the ban because such marriages have been linked to a higher birth-related defect in children and can also “reinforce negative structures and control women.”

He is seeking to introduce the  Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill to the House of Commons today for further consideration.

Mr Holden, explaining the move, said cousin marriages could be “cultural rather than religious” in “some of the communities where it is more prevalent”.

Elaborating on the core idea behind the proposition, he asserted, “Marriage and relationships should be about individual choice in modern Britain; it shouldn’t be about anything else.”

Quoting the social and scientific relevance, he said, “Studies show that it is associated with approximately double the rate of birth defects compared to the general population and can reinforce negative structures and control women.

“Building on my previous work to ban hymenoplasty and so-called virginity testing in the last Parliament, I will urge the Government to reconsider the legality of first-cousin marriage in the UK.

“Many nations and states have taken action on this issue in recent years, and it is time for us to do the same.”

Holden will seek to introduce his private member’s bill (PMB) to the lower house of the parliament that is House of Commons today (on Tuesday) using the 10-minute rule process.

Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones, representing the government, said that the government will take time to “properly consider our marriage law” before stating its position publicly.

“Placing restrictions on first-cousin marriage would require changes to the Marriage Act 1949 and potentially the Sexual Offences Act 2003,” he acknowledged.

Medical experts also state that there is a high rate of cousin marriages worldwide, which is the reason behind genetic diseases caused by gene mutation. Thus increasing the risk of many diseases, including sudden death after childbirth, infertility, pre-term delivery, thalassemia, epilepsy, muteness, deafness, and bipolar disorder.

It is illegal to marry a sibling, parent or child in the United Kingdom, but not first cousins.

Notably, if the proposed bill to be presented in the House of Commons is passed, marriage between first cousins in the UK will be banned.