Re-marriage of divorced persons

(1) As soon as any decree for divorce is made absolute, either of the parties to the marriage may, if there is no right of appeal against the decree absolute, marry again as if the prior marriage had been dissolved by death or, if there is such a right of appeal, may so marry again, if no appeal is presented against the decree, as soon as the time for appealing has expired or, if an appeal is so presented, as soon as the appeal has been dismissed, Provided that it shall not be lawful for a man to marry the sister or half-sister of his divorced wife or of his wife by whom he has been divorced during the lifetime of the wife, or the divorced wife of his brother or half-brother or the wife of his brother or half-brother who has divorced his brother during the lifetime of the brother or half-brother. (2) No Minister of the Christian religion shall be compelled to publish the banns of matrimony or to solemnise the marriage of any person whose former marriage has been dissolved by a judicial decree, where the other party to such former marriage is still living, nor shall any Minister be compelled to permit the use of any church or chapel under his control for publishing any such banns or solemnising the marriage of any such person, nor shall any such Minister be liable to any suit, proceeding or penalty for refusing to publish any such banns or for refusing to 76 solemnise any such marriage or for refusing to permit the use of any such church or chapel for any such purposes aforesaid. (3) No Minister of the Christian religion shall be liable to any suits, proceedings or penalties for publishing any such banns or solemnising the marriage of any such person aforesaid or for permitting the use of any such church or chapel for any of the purposes aforesaid, Provided that nothing in this Act shall relieve any such Minister from any ecclesiastical proceedings or censure to which by reason of his publishing any such banns or solemnising any such marriage or permitting the use of any such church or chapel for any of the purposes aforesaid he is or from time to time hereafter may be liable according to the doctrine, practice, usage or rules of any such religion.