Labor to lift CNI ban

Labor to lift CNI ban

Following the Labor Party’s amendment of its platform to support same-sex marriage, the ALP National Conference today decided to lift the ban on same-sex couples being provided with the documentation they need to marry overseas.

Previously the Australian Government refused to issue people in same-sex relationships seeking to marry overseas with the Certificates of Non-Impediment (CNIs) they require to prove to foreign governments that they are not already married in Australia.

Australian Marriage Equality (AME) campaign director Rodney Croome (pictured) said the change would make a huge difference to many same-sex couples.

“Many gay and lesbians Australians travel overseas to marry because they can’t marry here, but when they discover the Australian Government won’t give them the required paperwork, weddings plans have to be cancelled and the partners concerned continue to experience the legal and social disadvantages of not being able to marry”, Croome said.

“This reform will make a real difference to many couples forced overseas to marry.”

AME had campaigned for the removal of the CNI ban for several years, securing a recommendation against the ban from a 2009 Senate inquiry, and had threatened legal action if the ban was not removed.

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One response to “Labor to lift CNI ban”

  1. This is a very important development. How dare any Government refuse an Australian citizen the right to CNI documentation! Either you are married or not married in Australia and you have a right for a document to state that fact!