Marriage (Recognised Denominations) Proclamation 1999

Administered by Attorney-General's Department

Legislation au F2006B00436 Not in force Legislative Instrument

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Marriage (Recognised Denominations) Proclamation 1999

I, WILLIAM PATRICK DEANE, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council and under section 26 of the Marriage Act 1961:

(a) revoke the declaration of recognised denominations made by proclamation dated 3 October 1995; and

(b) declare each body or organisation mentioned in Schedule 1 to be a recognised denomination for that Act.

Signed and sealed with the
Great Seal of Australia
on 22 September 1999

WILLIAM DEANE

Governor-General

By His Excellency’s Command,

DARYL WILLIAMS

Attorney-General

Schedule 1 Recognised denominations

 

 

Aboriginal Evangelical Fellowship of Australia

Aborigines Inland Mission of Australia, The

Abundant Life Fellowship International Limited

Ananda Marga

Anglican Catholic Church in Australia, The

Anglican Church of Australia, The

Antiochian Orthodox Church

Apostolic Church (Australia), The

Apostolic Church of Queensland, The

Armenian Apostolic Church in Australia, The

Assemblies of God in Australia

Associated Australian Autonomous Churches

Associated Christian Assemblies International Incorporated

Associated Christian Spiritual Churches of Australia

Associated Mission Churches of Australasia Incorporated

Association of the Church of God in Australia

Australian Christadelphian Ecclesia

Autocephalic Greek Orthodox Church of America and Australia

Baha’I Faith

Baptist Bible Fellowship of Australia

Baptist Union of Australia, The

Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Australia and Abroad

Bethesda Movement Incorporated

Brethren

Calvary Life Assemblies

Christian and Missionary Alliance of Australia, The

Christian Brethren

Christian Church in Australia

Christian Church, The

Christian City Church

Christian Israelite Church

Christian Life Churches International

Christian Outreach Centre

Christian Revival Crusade

Churches of Christ in Australia

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑Day Saints

Church of Scientology Incorporated, The

Church of the Foursquare Gospel (Australia) Limited

Church of the Foursquare Gospel in Australia

Church of the Nazerene

Church of Tonga in Australia, The

Congregational Christian Church in Samoa, The

Coptic Orthodox Church of Australia

Crosslink Christian Network

Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Australia, The

Federation of Reformed Christian Churches of the Pacific — Australia Incorporated

Fellowship of Congregational Churches

Fellowship of Evangelical Churches in Australia

Free Reformed Church of Australia

Free Serbian Orthodox Church, Diocese for Australia and New Zealand

Full Gospel Churches of Australia

German Evangelical Lutheran Church

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia

Hungarian Reformed Church of Australia, The

Independent Baptist Fellowship

Independent Church of Australia, The

International Council of Spiritualists

International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Islam

Jehovah’s Witnesses

Jewry

Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Victoria, The

Liberal Catholic Church, The

Lutheran Church of Australia Incorporated, The

Macedonian‑Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church

Macedonian Orthodox Church, Diocese of Australia and New Zealand

New Apostolic Church in Australia, The

New Church in Australia, The

New Life Churches of Australia

New Testament Church of God

Potters House Christian Fellowship of Australia, The

Presbyterian Church of Australia, The

Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia

Presbyterian Reformed Church

Reach Out for Christ Limited

Reformed Churches of Australia, The

Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia, The

Religious Society of Friends, The

Reorganised Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, The

Revival Centres International

Revival Fellowship, The

Roman Catholic Church

Romanian Orthodox Church

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

Salvation Army, The

Serbian Orthodox Church in Australia and New Zealand, The

Seventh‑day Adventist Church

Strict and Particular Baptist Churches of Australia, The

Ukrainian Autocephalic Orthodox Church in Diaspora, Diocese of Australia
and New Zealand

Unitarians

United Aborigines Mission

United Pentecostal Church of Australia

United Spiritualism of Australia

Uniting Church in Australia, The

Victorian Spiritualists’ Union

Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Connexion in Victoria, The

Wesleyan Methodist Church, The

Westminster Presbyterian Church, The

Worldwide Church of God

Youth with a Mission Incorporated

 

Overview

The Marriage (Recognised Denominations) Proclamation 1999 was introduced to address a gap in the legal recognition of various religious bodies and denominations under the Marriage Act 1961. This proclamation was enacted by William Patrick Deane, the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, with the advice of the Federal Executive Council and under section 26 of the Marriage Act 1961. The policy objective was to update and expand the list of recognised denominations eligible to conduct marriages, ensuring that a broader range of religious and spiritual organisations were acknowledged and included in the legal framework governing marriage in Australia. This expansion aimed to accommodate the diverse religious landscape of the nation, providing greater flexibility and inclusivity within the marriage laws.

Scope and Application

The Marriage (Recognised Denominations) Proclamation 1999, issued under section 26 of the Marriage Act 1961, primarily concerns the recognition of specific religious denominations and organisations for the purposes of solemnising marriages in Australia. The Proclamation revokes the previous declaration of recognised denominations made in 1995 and establishes a new list of recognised denominations, which includes a wide array of Christian denominations, as well as other religious bodies such as the Baha'i Faith, Islam, and Jewry, among others. This proclamation applies to the entities and religious bodies listed in Schedule 1, which are designated as recognised denominations under the Act. The scope of the Act is national, as it pertains to the Commonwealth of Australia, and it affects marriages conducted by the listed religious organisations throughout the country. The Proclamation does not specify any exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds, meaning that all religious bodies listed are equally recognised under the Act. The application of the Proclamation may be further extended or clarified through subordinate instruments issued under the authority of the Marriage Act 1961.

Key Provisions

The Marriage (Recognised Denominations) Proclamation 1999, issued under section 26 of the Marriage Act 1961, principally serves to update and revise the list of religious denominations authorised to solemnise marriages in Australia. The Proclamation revokes the previous declaration of recognised denominations made in 1995 and instead declares a new set of religious bodies or organisations listed in Schedule 1 as recognised denominations. This includes a wide array of Christian denominations such as the Anglican Church of Australia, the Presbyterian Church of Australia, and the Catholic Church, as well as non-Christian faiths such as the Jewish community, Islam, and the Baha'i Faith, among others. The obligations imposed by the Act on the parties or entities it governs are primarily concerned with ensuring that only those religious bodies recognised under the Proclamation can legally solemnise marriages. These recognised denominations must adhere to the legal framework and requirements stipulated by the Marriage Act 1961 for the solemnisation of marriages. This includes following the prescribed forms and procedures, registering the marriage with the relevant authorities, and ensuring that all parties involved meet the legal criteria for marriage, such as age and consent. In terms of consequences for breach, the Act does not explicitly outline specific offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences within the Proclamation itself. However, any failure by a religious body to comply with the legal requirements for solemnising marriages could potentially result in legal challenges or penalties under other relevant legislation, such as the Marriage Act 1961. For instance, if a religious body conducts a marriage ceremony that does not meet the legal criteria, the marriage could be deemed invalid, and those involved might face difficulties in having their marriage recognised by the state. Additionally, any misconduct or illegal practices by religious officials in the process of solemnising marriages could lead to legal action under general criminal or civil laws.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.