Summary#
Bill 31, the Marriage Amendment Act, 2025, amends Ontario’s Marriage Act. It authorizes a member of the Legislative Assembly who gives written notice to the Minister that they are interested in solemnizing marriages to do so under the authority of a licence. The stated legal change is to add these members to the Act’s list of people who may solemnize marriages.
- The authorization continues for 12 months after a member stops being a member of the Assembly.
- The bill does not create a separate office, a new marriage licence, or a new application or approval process in the text provided.
- The bill received Royal Assent and is enacted as Chapter 20 of Ontario’s 2025 statutes. It says it comes into force on Royal Assent, but the material does not give the date.
What it means for you#
- Members of the Assembly: A member who gives the required written notice may solemnize marriages under the authority of a licence. The authorization continues for 12 months after they leave the Assembly.
- Couples and the public: The change could give couples another option for who solemnizes their marriage. It does not change the marriage licence itself, based on the text provided.
- Other people who solemnize marriages: The bill adds members of the Assembly to the list; it does not say that it removes or changes the authority of other people.
Money#
No publicly available information.
- The bill requires written notice to the Minister but gives no cost estimate or staffing details.
- The material does not state whether the change will create costs for the government or others.
What is unclear#
- The Marriage Act as it stood before this change was not supplied, so the full existing rules for who may solemnize marriages could not be verified.
- The bill does not explain how a member gives notice, or whether the Minister has any role beyond receiving it.
- The amendment does not set out training, qualifications, oversight, or a process for complaints about a member solemnizing marriages. How this interacts with other rules in the Act is unclear.
- The material does not give the date of Royal Assent, when the change took effect.
Case for#
- A possible argument for the bill is that members who want to solemnize marriages can do so after giving written notice, adding another option for couples.
- The 12-month continuation after a member leaves office may allow that authorization to continue through a transition out of the Assembly.
Case against#
- The bill adds members of the Assembly to the people who may solemnize marriages, but the material does not explain what safeguards or oversight apply specifically to this new group.
- The notice requirement is stated, but the bill does not explain the process or the Minister’s role. That may leave practical details unclear to members and couples.
- Because the earlier version of the Marriage Act was not supplied, it is unclear from these materials how this change fits with all existing rules.