Tuesday, December 11, 2012

The complexity of marriage law - update

Legal (permitted by law and recognised by the state):
  • Opposite-sex church weddings (couple legally married and registered)
  • Same-sex civil partnerships in a register office / registered premises for weddings
  • Opposite-sex marriages in a register office / registered premises for weddings
  • Religious civil partnerships (civil partnership ceremonies in a religious building)

Being made legal soon:
  • Same-sex weddings in register offices and those churches & synagogues that want to do them (couple legally married and registered)
  • A transsexual person married to a person of the opposite sex to their original sex wanting to change their birth certificate to reflect their new sex will no longer have to divorce their partner (because when same sex marriage is legal, they can stay married).
  • A transsexual person civilly partnered to a person of the same sex will be able to change / "upgrade" to a marriage (8.5 on page 27 of the consultation outcome document)
  • Pagan same-sex handfastings in Scotland

The new arrangements for trans people are still not very satisfactory, as the conversion from one type of legal recognition to another will cost them money. This is particularly annoying for people who have already had to change their relationship status under the previous arrangements.

Not forbidden by law, but not recognised by the state
  • same-sex blessings in a church / synagogue
  • Pagan handfastings (weddings) in England & Wales
  • Blessings of polyamorous relationships
  • Humanist weddings - both same and opposite sex
Illegal (not permitted by law):
  • Opposite-sex civil partnerships in a register office / registered premises for weddings
  • Marrying more than one person

Legal (permitted by law and recognised by the state) in Scotland only:

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