The British high commission have announced that David Bulmer-Rizzi, who died while honeymooning with his partner Marco in Adelaide, will now be registered as married on his death certificate.
Marco Bulmer-Rizzi was originally told that Marco’s death certificate would say ‘never married’ – a move that has been labeled as “awfully insensitive” by the South Australian premier Jay Weatherill.
“I was obviously very ashamed that he’d had this experience in South Australia, my home state,” he told Guardian Australia.
Weatherill explained that the births, deaths and marriages department of South Australia’s Department of Consumer and Business Services had “felt constrained” by state law to identify David Bulmer-Rizzi as unmarried.
However, Weatherill has now given his personal guarantee that Marco’s death certificate will be reissued with his correct marital status, and that legislation would be passed to recognise overseas same-sex marriages in South Australia.
David Bulmer-Rizzi, 32, died after a fall in Adelaide. Though the couple, from Sunderland, had married in London last year.
Menna Rawlings, who is the British high commissioner to Australia, has tweeted a thank you to Weatherill for committing to amending the legislation.
