Same Sex Marriage Becomes Law
The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill completed its historic journey through Parliament by receiving Royal Assent in December 2013, officially making it law. The Government also announced that the first same sex wedding could take place by as early as summer 2014.
What does the act allow? The Act, which applies to England and Wales, will:
- allow same sex couples to marry in civil ceremonies
- allow same sex couples to marry in religious ceremonies, where the religious organisation has ‘opted in’ to conduct such ceremonies and the minister of religion agrees
- protect those religious organisations and their representatives who don’t wish to conduct marriages of same sex couples from successful legal challenge
- enable civil partners to convert their partnership to a marriage, if they wish
- enable married individuals to change their legal gender without having to end their marriage
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