Frances Gibb, Legal Editor
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The Attorney-General’s office has ruled out any legislation that would give equal rights of succession to the throne to daughters of a monarch. Nor will it repeal the law that bans the heir to the throne from marrying a Roman Catholic.
The denial yesterday, by a spokesman for Baroness Scotland of Asthal, QC, came after the Attorney-General’s fellow minister, Vera Baird, QC, who is the Solicitor-General, was quoted seemingly giving support to such measures.
A forthright advocate of equality for women, Ms Baird said that the entrenched right of males to succeed to the throne ahead of older sisters was “unfair” and “a load of rubbish”. She also wants to repeal the law banning the heir to the throne from marrying a Catholic — a law she denounced as discriminatory.
Her office said that Ms Baird was not involved with the Equalities Bill, which will bring all existing discriminatory laws on gender, age, race, disability and sexual orientation and religion under one Act.
The Solicitor-General had simply been expressing a personal view that the laws were outdated, a spokeswoman said.
She insisted that Ms Baird had not been speaking out of turn; her remarks had wrongly been put into the context of proposed government legislation.
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Thereason why we should do this now is because it is not urgent and we have the time to do it properly, because the following three heirs would not be affected.
We could look at all the laws from the past 1000 years that need amending and how it affects the other 15 countries concerned.
Ian Richmond, Seoul, Rep of Korea
It is vital we keep the ban on marrying Roman Catholics, as this would mean there were subservient to a foreign power and undermine British sovereignty
Graeme, Newcastle,
the Act of Settlement makes no provision for male primogeniture. The Act provides for the Protestant succession, but says nothing about males first. Male primogeniture is based on tradition.
Marlene Koenig, Alexandria, VA, USA
----Nor will it repeal the law that bans the heir to the throne from marrying a Roman Catholic.----
GOOD!
Make the rule apply to all other religions as well.
Dave B, Stoke, UK
Where does one stop though? One might argue that primogeniture is unfair and agist, and therefore the 'best' (how to determine that one!) offspring of the monarch should be next in line for the throne, rather than the eldest. Then you get into arguments over who chooses the best, and an elective monarchy, and soon we have a republic and more problems to sort out.
I'm not against the idea, just think it needs a lot of thinking through about where one stops.
Eleanor, Oxford,
If we had a real democracy, none of these matters would even merit discussion. If our Head of State were elected, their religion, gender, sexuality or accidents of birth would be relevant.
Let's have some real reform, and abolish the anachronism that is monarchy
John Flemming, Scunthorpe, UK
It would be better to consign the whole parasitic carnival to history and abolish the monarchy. That would be a useful first step on the road to true democracy in this country.
Bob Christie, Fife, Scotland
Of course the law favouring male succession should be changed. Far better to do it now, when there are no 'personalities' to consider, than possibly sometime in the future if Prince William has a daughter.
If his first-born is a girl, she should become Princess of Wales.
Donna Walker, Effingham, Surrey