Until recently, same sex couples from across the country have been unable to join together in a Civil Partnership. However, on one momentous day in 2005, everything changed.
December 5th 2005 was a momentous day for gay UK couples with a new Parliamentary Law (the Civil Partnership Act of 2004) coming into effect allowing homosexual partners from across the nation to join in union via a Partnership Ceremony.
Partnership Ceremonies were unheard of anywhere in the world prior to 1989 before the liberal Danes became the first nation to grant homosexual couples similar right to those of the heterosexual counterparts when they introduced the ‘Partnership Law’. Since then, numerous countries across the globe have brought in similar laws and from Norway to New Zealand (not literally sadly, not yet anyway!) gay couples can now join together in a Civil Partnership.
So without further ado, let’s get started.
Who Can Enter into a Civil Partnership and Where Can They Do So?
The rules that apply to same sex couples when undertaking a Civil Partnership are virtually identical to those rules that apply to heterosexual couples when they undertake a Civil Wedding. The four basic principles that must be adhered to are:
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The partners must be both of the same sex.
- Neither of them can already be lawfully married or a civil partner.
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Each partner is at least 16 years of age (parental approval is required for those under 18 in England and Wales).
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The partners are not within the prohibited degrees of relationship (see the article entitled ‘Prohibited Marriages’ for more info on this).
Assuming these basic criteria are met, then you will be free to enter into a Civil Partnership and begin thinking about where to hold the Ceremony.
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