CoCA Submission on Professional Development and Conflict of Interest and Benefit to Business To Marriage Law and Celebrants Section February 2017 Download: CoCASubmission-on-OPD-and-COI-B2B_170206.pdf Executive Summary: The COCA submission was compiled by the delegates of COCA member Associations for the best long-term interests of the profession. Whilst CoCA has had time to survey some aspects of professional development with its 2016 National Celebrant Survey, CoCA has not had time to survey more broadly, especially with respect to Conflict of Interest and Benefit to Business issues. However each celebrant has had an individual opportunity to respond directly to the Department’s survey. CoCA…

Summary of Recommendations: That professional development activities are based on the premises that:     • independent civil celebrants are part of a profession of celebrancy     • the profession of Subdivision C Marriage Celebrants, like the other Subdivisions of Marriage Celebrantsis broader than simply providing marriage services and that celebrants provide ceremonies other than marriage as part of their professional or public service roles. Professional development activities reflect the premise that Adult Learning Principles support the inclusion of topics on other ceremonies in the range of professional development activities for Subdivision C independent Marriage Celebrants. That those professional development providers approved by the AGD be delegated the responsibility of…

Professional Development: Introduction Professional development is an activity practiced by professions to ensure the members of their profession remain current in knowledge, maintain and improve their skills for their professional work and are able to adapt to the changing needs of the society they service.10 Whether an individual practitioner works part-time or full-time, or specialises in a particular aspect of the profession is a matter of personal choice. However all professions, whether the original three professions of ministry, law or medicine, or newer professions such as nursing, dentistry, teaching and physiotherapy, have a body of knowledge and skills such that…

Conflict of Interest and Benefit to Business: Introduction CoCA appreciates the Department’s acknowledgement of the difficulties confronted by many marriage celebrants wishing to create viable celebrancy practices. The discussion papers stated: “The past decade has also seen changes to the financial investment involved in being an authorised marriage celebrant, including the significant cost of obtaining the appropriate qualifications, the requirement to pay an annual celebrant registration charge and costs of ongoing professional development. Many new marriage celebrants are entering the profession with the expectation that they will be able to generate an income from their substantial investment in becoming an…

Registration of Professional Development Activity Form 39 DRAFT ONLY OPD Activity Title OPD Code: Date received Delivery [] Face-to-face classes [] Distance [] Online Activity OPD hours equivalent Certificate IV reference [] Compulsory [] Elective Marriage Act and Regulations related [] Yes [] No Main focus of Activity [] Knowledge [] Skills [] Values `Clarification [] Support/ Resources Objectives of Topic 1. 2. 3. 4. Objectives relevant to the knowledge, values, skills & support needed by a professional celebrant authorised to conduct marriage ceremonies Yes/ No Learning Activities 1. 2. 3. How relates to adult learning principles Name of OPD…

1.      Workforce development agenda - Presented by CoCA to representatives of the Marriage Law and Celebrant Section on Thursday 14th April 2016 in Canberra. Ref: http://www.coalitionofcelebrantAssociations.org.au/issues/119-raised-with-the-ag-Department/387-workforce-development-agenda 2.      What is a profession? Ref: https://www.celebrations.org.au/celebrants/2327-a-1-what-is-a-profession 3.      What are key characteristics of a profession? Ref: https://www.celebrations.org.au/celebrants/2328-a-2-what-are-key-characteristics-of-a-profession 4.      Is Marriage Celebrancy a Profession? Ref: https://www.celebrations.org.au/celebrants/2329-a-3-is-marriage-celebrancy-a-profession 5.      Professions in Australia - Australian Council of Professions Limited t/a Professions Australia Ref: http://www.professions.com.au/about-us/what-is-a-professional 6.      'What is a humanist ceremony?' narrated by Stephen Fry Ref: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzTXicmkrQ4 7.      Marriage Amendment Bill 2002 No. 77, 2002 An Act to amend the Marriage Act 1961, and for related purposes. Ref: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2004A01014 8.     …

For the Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants Secretary : Rick Barclay, 41 Murray Rd, Croydon, Victoria. National President: Dally Messenger May 13, 1992 Second Legal Opinion of the renowned constitutional lawyer Professor Michael Pryles (Minter Ellison Morris Fletcher) Comment/Summary This is the actual submission put to the Attorney General on or about the date mentioned above. In softer terms than his first opinion, it still argues that constitutionally that rules and regulations, including fees and advertising, cannot be loaded onto civil celebrants unless they are also loaded onto the clergy. He also cogently argues, on many legal and political precedents,…

Section 31 Applicant may be refused registration in certain circumstances A Registrar to whom an application for registration under this Subdivision is made may refuse to register the applicant if, in the opinion of the Registrar:a) there are already registered under this Subdivision sufficient  ministers of religion of the denomination to which the applicant belongs to meet the needs of the denomination in the locality in which the applicant residesb) the applicant is not a fit and proper person to solemnise marriages; or​c) the applicant is unlikely to devote a substantial part of his or her time to the performance of functions generally performed by a minister of religion.

Section 33 (1) Removal from register Subject to this section, a Registrar shall remove the name of a person from the register kept by that Registrar if he or she is satisfied that:a)  that person has requested that his or her name be so removedb)  that person has died;c)  the denomination by which that person was nominated for registration, or in respect of which that person is registered, no longer desires that that person be registered under this Subdivision or has ceased to be a recognised denomination;d) that person:i) is not a fit and proper person to solemnise marriages; orii) has been making a…