Petition · past parliament · Ministry of Justice

Repeal the Consummation Laws in England and Wales

Closed 357 signatures

What the petition asks

Section 12 of the Matrimonial Causes Act says marriage between two persons of the opposite sex can be voided if it is not consummated. This legislation should be repealed, in line with same-sex marriage as it provides for the outdated idea that a marriage should have a sexual component to it.
Asexuality is a sexual orientation where an individual has little to no sexual attraction. They can feel romantic attraction and may wish to get married without ever having sex. This group of people who make up 1% of the British population (as well as anyone else who prefers not to have sex for whatever reason) should have the right to marry whomever they choose without having to worry that not consummating their marriage could mean it can be declared void.

Timeline

23 Jul 2020 Petition opened for signatures
23 Jan 2021 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 357
Status Closed
Department Ministry of Justice
Opened 23 Jul 2020
Closed 23 Jan 2021

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.