header-logo header-logo

All marriages are equal...

24 July 2013 / Janet Barlow , Rebecca Mason
Issue: 7570 / Categories: Features , Public , Human rights
printer mail-detail
169856308_0

...but some are more equal than others, say Janet Barlow & Rebecca Mason

The controversial Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act received royal assent last week. This Act is a ground-breaking piece of legislation which aims to put same sex couples on a level footing with that of heterosexual couples in relation to the institution of “marriage”. The Act will enable same sex couples to marry either in a civil ceremony or, if in agreement with the religious organisation, in a religious ceremony. The Civil Partnership Act 2004 (CPA 2004) had already given same sex couples the ability to make a legally recognised commitment to one another. However, this has never been regarded as a marriage due to Canon law. The Submission of the Clergy Act 1533, Canon B30, states that “the Church of England affirms, according to our Lord’s teaching that marriage is in its nature a union permanent and lifelong, for better for worse, till death them do part, of one man with one woman...” This was reaffirmed by

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

DWF—19 appointments

DWF—19 appointments

Belfast team bolstered by three senior hires and 16 further appointments

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Firm strengthens leveraged finance team with London partner hire

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Double hire marks launch of family team in Leeds

NEWS
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve reports on Haynes v Thomson, the first judicial application of the Supreme Court’s For Women Scotland ruling in a discrimination claim, in this week's NLJ
Charlie Mercer and Astrid Gillam of Stewarts crunch the numbers on civil fraud claims in the English courts, in this week's NLJ. New data shows civil fraud claims rising steadily since 2014, with the King’s Bench Division overtaking the Commercial Court as the forum of choice for lower-value disputes
The Supreme Court issued a landmark judgment in July that overturned the convictions of Tom Hayes and Carlo Palombo, once poster boys of the Libor and Euribor scandal. In NLJ this week, Neil Swift of Peters & Peters considers what the ruling means for financial law enforcement
Small law firms want to embrace technology but feel lost in a maze of jargon, costs and compliance fears, writes Aisling O’Connell of the Solicitors Regulation Authority in this week's NLJ
Artificial intelligence may be revolutionising the law, but its misuse could wreck cases and careers, warns Clare Arthurs of Penningtons Manches Cooper in this week's NLJ
back-to-top-scroll