Friday, March 28, 2014

6 Ways The U.K. Still Doesn't Have Full Marriage Equality

Same-sex couples will be able to get married in England and Wales from Saturday. But there’s still a few issues left to iron out.

Civil partnerships still cannot be converted to marriages.

Dan Kitwood / Getty Images

Same-sex couples who are already in a civil partnership will not be able to convert their relationship to marriage until later in 2014, while the government works out the official procedure for switching status.

Since civil partnerships can only be dissolved if both parties prove to the court that a relationship has broken down there is no way for couples to dissolve their partnership and then remarry.

Northern Ireland has no plans to introduce same-sex marriages.

England and Wales will have same-sex marriages ceremonies from Saturday, with Scotland due to follow later this year.

But Northern Ireland has held out and shows no sign of changing, with Democrat Unionist assembly members blocking marriage equality legislation at the devolved assembly.

There is little sign of this position changing in the short term, meaning that part of the U.K. will still only allow marriages between a man and a woman for some time to come.

The Republic of Ireland is set to hold a referendum on marriage equality in 2015, meaning Northern Ireland could soon become the only major part of the British Isles where same-sex marriage is not allowed. (The Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey have also not passed same-sex marriage legislation.)

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