Petition · past parliament · Ministry of Justice
Ban marriages of 1st cousins and give registry offices powers to order DNA tests
Closed
221 signatures
What the petition asks
If 1st cousins have a child there is a higher risk of genetic diseases being passed on to their child (source below). One of the best ways to prevent this is to ban marriages between 1st cousins, in the same way people are already banned from marrying certain other relatives.
Registry offices should be given the power to order independent DNA evidence if there are suspicions a couple are 1st cousins.
Source: https://www.genetics.edu.au/publications-and-resources/facts-sheets/fact-sheet-18-when-parents-are-relatives-consanguinity
Source: https://www.genetics.edu.au/publications-and-resources/facts-sheets/fact-sheet-18-when-parents-are-relatives-consanguinity
Timeline
| 22 Jul 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 22 Jan 2022 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
221
Status
Closed
Department
Ministry of Justice
Opened
22 Jul 2021
Closed
22 Jan 2022
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.