The Government is currently carrying out a consultation exercise over the operation and future of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 in England and Wales. The consultation is seeking views on civil partnership and its continuing role when all couples – whether they are of the same sex or opposite sex – are now able to marry.
This consultation exercise is required by section 15 of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, and sets out a number of potential changes to civil partnership that have been proposed, including:
- abolishing the legal relationship of civil partnership and converting existing civil partnerships into marriages;
- stopping new civil partnerships being registered but retaining existing ones; and
- opening up civil partnership to opposite sex couples.
The Government is keen to make it clear that these are not Government policy proposals, but instead are ideas for changing civil partnership which others have suggested. It explains that it will carefully consider responses alongside other evidence in deciding the future of civil partnership in England and Wales.
The consultation will close on 17th April 2014.
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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v2.0.