Skip to main content

Are civil partnerships an option for all?

Share

According to a recent government consultation, of the three million unmarried cohabiting couples living in the UK, 20 per cent of those in heterosexual relationships would prefer to form a civil partnership rather than marry, or live together without any legal recognition of their partnership.

Many people wish to seek legal acknowledgment of their relationship, but want to avoid the social expectations, pressures, traditions and the religious connotations associated with marriage. While changes to the law in 2014 mean that all couples, regardless of gender, now have the right to marry, only same-sex couples are able to form a civil partnership.

With many other countries having given different sex couples the option to choose between marriage and civil partnerships, the Equal Civil Partnerships campaign is now fighting for all couples in the UK to have the same choice.

Equality

Campaigners have expressed that the current ban on couples of the opposite sex entering into civil partnerships goes against the democratic principle of equality. It’s argued that maintaining a separate same-sex only regime implies that there is something different about same-sex relationships, so if they are truly equal in the eyes of the law, both marriage and civil partnerships should be open to all.

Legal protection

Some of the three million unmarried cohabiting UK couples don’t want to make a legal commitment, while some are unaware of their lack of rights if they don’t legally recognise the relationship. Others choose not to marry purely because they object to the tradition of marriage.

Regardless of the reason, couples who choose not to marry could access greater legal protection if civil partnerships were made available to all.

The legal challenge

Charles Keidan and Rebecca Seinfeld, who have been in a relationship since 2010 and have a daughter together, are seeking to legally recognise their relationship and desire legal protection however, they are personally opposed to marriage.

Charles and Rebecca’s legal claim is that the Civil Partnership Act is incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, which states that everyone should be treated equally by law, regardless of sex or sexual orientation.

Their online petition to allow all couples to enter into civil partnerships currently has 35,957 signatures and earlier this month members of parliament began to debate the issue, with the case also recently considered by the high court.

A decision from the judge is expected imminently. If it’s found the current civil partnership rules are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, the government could be required to extended civil partnership legislation to allow all couples to enter into them. More information on the Equal Civil Partnerships campaign can be found here.

For more information on civil partnerships or for advice on any family law matter, contact Janine Hutson on 01772 258321


Questions & Answers


x

Manage your privacy

How we handle your personal data

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives you more control over how companies like ours use your personal information and makes it quicker and easier for you to check and update the information we hold about you.

As part of our service to you, we will continue to collect, use, store and share your data safely and securely. This doesn’t require any action on your part.

For more detailed information view our Privacy Hub