Hindu Marriage Celebrants

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Hindu Council of Australia is recognized by the Attorney General’s department as a recognized religious denomination to allow its ministers (priests) to perform marriages.

A minister of religion who is a registered Hindu marriage celebrant in any state register may solemnise marriages at any place in Australia.

The law prohibits a Hindu Mariiage celebrant from making a business of solemnising marriages for the purpose of profit or gain.

Hindu Council of Australia is required under law to provide an annual list of persons registered as Hindu Marriage Celebrants to the registrar.

For a Hindu Priest (ministers) to legally perform a ceremony, the Hindu Council is listed as a recognised denomination under the Marriage Act 1961. Hindu Council of Australia is therefore authorized to nominate its ministers (priests) to be authorized marriage celebrants.

Ministers of religion not associated with a recognised denomination i.e. Hindu priests not associated with Hindu Council of Australia or any of the recognized denomination are regulated through a different program called the Marriage Celebrants Programme.

The recommend priests (ministers) must meet the criteria set down in section 29 of the Marriage Act to be registered as authorised celebrants. Such priests can apply to the registrar of Marriage Celebrants to be Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants under Part IV, Division 1, Subdivision C of the Marriage Act.

Section 29  Qualifications for registration under this Subdivision (as of 9 December 2017)

                   Subject to this Subdivision, a person is entitled to registration under this Subdivision if:

                     (a)  the person is a minister of religion of a recognised denomination;

                     (b)  the person is nominated for registration under this Subdivision by that denomination;

                     (c)  the person is ordinarily resident in Australia; and

                     (d)  the person has attained the age of 21 years.

Australian Marriage Act (Read sections 25-38, Subdivision A-Ministers of Religion)

Download an Application form to become a Hindu Marriage Celebrant

 

 

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