Pair face bogus wedding charges

A Christchurch Anglican minister is facing criminal charges for allegedly allowing a non-registered celebrant to carry out a bogus wedding.

The Rev Maurice Gray is facing prosecution from the Department of Internal Affairs under the Marriage Act.

Gray and Rangiora undertaker Geoffrey Hall face charges under sections 59 and 60a of the act.

Section 59 relates to "offence to solemnise marriage falsely pretending to be marriage celebrant" and carries a maximum prison term of five years.

Section 60 relates to "offences in connection with false statements and improper solemnisation of marriages".

The men, who are due to appear in the Christchurch District Court on December 10, declined to comment yesterday.

The case relates to a marriage between Philip Ellis, of Riccarton, and Jeanette Hardey, of Kaiapoi.

They were married on November 4, 2006, at the Kaiapoi Club.

The marriage lasted only three weeks, and Hardey later died, Ellis said.

Ellis has questioned the validity of the marriage, saying it was solemnised by Hall, then a trainee of Gray, rather than by Gray.

As well as making contact with the Department of Internal Affairs, Ellis wrote to then Anglican bishop David Coles.

Coles replied in a letter in November 2007: "I am treating your complaint very seriously and I am seeking legal advice in this instance."

This year the department warned that non-registered celebrants were taking the lead role at some weddings, raising concerns over the legality of several New Zealand marriages or civil unions.

In a letter last month, the department's registrar-general, Brian Clarke, reminded registered celebrants that they must "officiate the ceremony" and "not be a bystander".

At the time, Christchurch marriage celebrant June Russell said: "Some [unregistered] celebrants have just been doing the whole ceremony and getting a [registered] marriage celebrant to just sign the legal papers.

"They [the couple getting married] are leaving themselves open to that marriage not being legal."