Gender equality for throne succession
2012-12-13 21:45
London - The British government on Thursday published
legislation aimed at granting equal rights to male and female babies in the
succession to the British throne.
The government hopes to ensure parliamentary passage of
the succession to the crown bill - which entails changes to a set of laws dating
back to the early 18th Century - before the expected birth next summer of the
first child of Prince William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.
The bill, which has received consent from all the other
15 nations which are part of the Commonwealth, will also end the ban on anyone
in the line of succession marrying a Roman Catholic.
The plan to end male primogeniture - the rule that
discriminated against women - was agreed in principle at a meeting of
Commonwealth heads of government in Australia a year ago.
"This Bill will bring to an end centuries of
discrimination against women so that the first born is next in line to the
throne, regardless of whether they're a boy or a girl," Deputy Prime
Minister Nick Clegg said on Thursday.
Clegg said he was "delighted" that all
Commonwealth countries had agreed to implement the "historic" changes.
"If the duke and duchess of Cambridge have a baby girl, she can one day be
our queen even if she has younger brothers," said Clegg.
The legislation, which cannot be applied retrospectively,
is already deemed to have taken effect through the consent of all Commonwealth
members.
But a government spokesperson said the new law would be
voted on in parliament as soon as the timetable allowed - possibly early in
2013. The royal baby is due in June or July.
- SAPA
