Calls for law reform after deceased UK man denied recognition of same-sex marriage in South Australia
Image: Marco and David Bulmer-Rizzi. (Image source Facebook)
MARRIAGE聽equality advocates have come out swinging against Australian laws that聽do not recognise overseas same-sex marriages after a British man whose husband died聽while on honeymoon in聽South Australia was not recognised as his next-of-kin.
When聽David聽Bulmer-Rizzi fell down a set of stairs at a friend’s house in Adelaide, cracking open his skull, all medical decisions 鈥斅爀xcept organ donation 鈥斅爃ad to be approved by his father because Bulmer-Rizzi’s marriage to his husband聽Marco was not recognised under聽South Australian law.
[showads聽ad=MREC] Bulmer-Rizzi’s Australian聽death certificate also listed him as never married.
Victoria, Tasmania, NSW and Queensland are the only states in Australia that recognise overseas same-sex marriages as civil partnerships in state law. No such recognition exists in other states or territories, nor at a Federal Government level.
The widespread criticism from the and the discrimination his husband Marco聽faces has to recognise overseas same-sex marriages in the state聽parliament by the end of 2016.
The announcement also came after calls from rights advocates to enact law reform urgently.
“I am angry about the pain David’s partner and family have been put through, the way this tarnishes Australia’s reputation and the fact our federal government has unnecessarily delayed reform by proposing a plebiscite,” Australian Marriage Equality national director Rodney Croome said.
“This tragedy highlights not only the need for marriage equality but its urgency.”
Why same-sex marriage MATTERS. Australia’s shame.
鈥� Sandra K Eckersley (@SandraEckersley)
Meanwhile, South Australian Greens Senator Robert Simms called on the Federal Government to recognise same-sex marriages performed overseas.
鈥淚t鈥檚 appalling that a grieving husband is being treated this way,” he said.
“It really is degrading and humiliating and an example of the cruel nature of this element of Australian law.
鈥淲e currently have a situation where聽overseas same-sex marriages are recognised in three [sic]聽states but not in others.
“We have to remedy this complex web of relationship laws so that married couples receive the acknowledgement they deserve.鈥�
Simms also planed to write to the Foreign Affairs Minister regarding the matter.
The father of David Bulmer-Rizzi, Nigel Bulmer, flew to Adelaide to be by his son’s side after his accident, according to
鈥淚t鈥檚 degrading. It demeans my son鈥檚 memory and denies their relationship, he told聽.
“It鈥檚 cast them as second-class citizens. No one should ever have to go through what we鈥檝e gone through. We鈥檙e at the bottom and somebody has dug a deeper pit.鈥�
Marco has urged people to contact Australian politicians to urge them to change laws recognising international same-sex marriages:
[fb_embed_post href=”https://www.facebook.com/rizzimarco/posts/10153778729811136/” width=”550″/]
摆蝉丑辞飞补诲蝉听补诲=贵翱翱罢闭
CIVIL UNIONS ACT 2012 – SECT 27
Civil unions under corresponding laws
(1) A regulation may provide that a relationship under a law of a State, external territory or foreign country (a corresponding law ) is a civil union for territory law.
(2) However, a regulation must not provide that a relationship under a corresponding law is a civil union for territory law unless, under the corresponding law, the relationship鈥�
(a) must be between 2 people; and
(b) must be entered into consensually; and
(c) must not be entered into by people who are in a prohibited relationship with each other; and
(d) must not be entered into by people who may marry each other under the Marriage Act 1961
(Cwlth) or a law of an external territory or foreign country if the marriage can be recognised under that Act
Correction the ACT also recognises marriages and civil unions from overseas as well, under the ACT Civil Union Act 2012! SSO is so full of spelling/grammar errors, mistakes and incorrect information!