Overview

This bill amends the Civil Partnership Act 2004 to allow opposite-sex couples to enter into civil partnerships, mirroring the rights currently available to same-sex couples.

Description

The core change introduced by this bill is the removal of the phrase "of the same sex" from Section 1(1) of the Civil Partnership Act 2004. This effectively opens up civil partnerships to heterosexual couples. The bill also specifies that the Act will be known as the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Amendment) Act 2016 and will have the same geographical extent as the original 2004 Act.

Government Spending

The bill's impact on government spending is not explicitly stated in the provided text. The cost would likely be minimal, potentially involving minor administrative adjustments to accommodate applications from opposite-sex couples.

Groups Affected

This bill directly affects:

• Opposite-sex couples: They will gain the right to enter into civil partnerships, offering similar legal rights and protections as marriage.
• Civil partnership registrars and related officials: They will need to adapt their processes to include applications from opposite-sex couples.
• Legal professionals: They will need to adapt their practices and advice to account for the changed legislation.

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