Why is the 2nd December 2019 significant? Well, on the 15th March 2019 the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Bill completed its passage through the Houses of Parliament. The Bill received Royal Assent on 26th March 2019 and came into force on 26th May 2019.
The reason the 2nd December is relevant to all of this, is that from that date (today at the point of writing) mixed-sex couples can give notice (28 days) for a civil partnership in England and Wales. In exceptional circumstances the 28 day period can be waived.
The other significant dates and matters covered by the Bill include overseas civil partnerships being legally recognised in England and Wales from midnight on the 1st December 2019. From New Year’s Eve 2019, mixed-sex couples can register their partnership officially (which is why the 2nd December is important, given the earlier reference to the 28 day notice period)
We regard to Northern Ireland, mixed-sex civil partnerships will be able to take place from the 13th January 2020. The only area that mixed-sex civil partnerships are not currently being introduced is in Scotland, but civil partnerships entered into elsewhere will be recognised as ‘marriage’ for legal purposes.
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