‘On 5 October 2023, the Law Commission began a consultation into the use of electronic wills and the effect of a marriage or civil partnership on an existing will.’
Mills & Reeve, 12th October 2023
Source: www.mills-reeve.com
‘A new Wills Act could permit electronic wills to be introduced “immediately”, rather than enabling the Lord Chancellor to introduce them by statutory instrument at some point in the future, the Law Commission has said.’
Legal Futures, 5th October 2023
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘A new law increasing the legal age of marriage to 18 has come into force in England and Wales.’
BBC News, 27th February 2023
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The Church of England’s General Synod has today voted in favour of a motion to offer blessings to same-sex couples in civil partnerships and marriages after an eight-hour debate over two days.’
Law & Religion UK, 9th February 2023
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 (‘2022 Act’) received Royal Assent on 28th April 2022, and its implications were examined in a post by Russell Sandberg and Kathy Griffiths. Advice was issued by the Faculty Office, and in August 2022 the Government announced that it would be brought into effect on Monday 27 February 2023.’
Law & Religion UK, 1st February 2023
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘Church of England bishops have refused to back a change in teaching to allow priests to marry same-sex couples, sources have told BBC News. The Church of England’s bishops met on Tuesday to finalise their recommendations after five years of consultation and debate on the Church’s position on sexuality.
Their proposal will be debated at the Church’s equivalent of a parliament – the General Synod – next month.’
BBC News, 18th January 2023
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The government has published proposals to change the rules that apply to transfers of assets between spouses and civil partners who are in the process of separating. It provides that they be given up to three years in which to make no gain or no loss transfers of assets between themselves when they cease to live together; and unlimited time if the assets are the subject of a formal divorce agreement.’
Family Law, 19th August 2022
Source: www.familylaw.co.uk
2022 c. 28 – Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022
2022 c. 27 – Approved Premises (Substance Testing) Act 2022
2022 c. 26 – Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022
2022 c. 22 – Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022
2022 c. 20 – Professional Qualifications Act 2022
2022 c. 17 – Local Government (Disqualification) Act 2022
2022 c. 36 – Nationality and Borders Act 2022
2022 c. 34 – British Sign Language Act 2022
2022 c. 32 – Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022
2022 c. 29 – Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022
2022 c. 24 – Cultural Objects (Protection from Seizure) Act 2022
Source: www.legislation.gov.uk
‘Outdoor civil weddings and partnerships are being legalised permanently in England and Wales. Until last summer, non-religious ceremonies had to be held inside or in a permanent outdoor structure. The rules were relaxed to allow for more guests while coronavirus social distancing measures were in place.’
BBC News, 15th March 2022
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 simplifies the divorce and civil partnership dissolution process by changing the law to make irretrievable breakdown – as now – the only ground for divorce or dissolution. But to prove that, there was no longer any need to establish one or more facts: adultery (marriage only), unreasonable behaviour or living apart for varying periods. One, or both, parties can file a statement of irretrievable breakdown. The procedure for this is likely – no commencement date has been confirmed – to be in force from 6 April 2022. All so far so civilised.’
UK Human Rights Blog, February 2022
Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com
‘A bill that would ban child marriage in England and Wales will be presented to parliament for its second reading this week and has been welcomed by campaigners as a “huge stride” forward.’
The Guardian, 16th November 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Why is it important to show that the parties are “associated persons” for the purposes of FLA 1996 (FLA 1996)?’
Becket Chambers, 17th June 2021
Source: becket-chambers.co.uk
‘Outdoor civil wedding and partnership ceremonies in England and Wales are set to be legalised for the first time – offering greater choice to couples in a boost to the wedding sector.’
Ministry of Justice, 20th June 2021
Source: www.gov.uk
‘This article considers the developments since the turn of the century in the provision of new options for same sex and opposite sex couples to formalise their unions with full legal recognition. The available statistical information on the take-up of same sex civil partnerships and marriages is analysed and evaluated, and an early estimation made of their dissolutions and divorces. The possible implications of recent trends are considered, and a personal appraisal made of prospects for the immediate future. To a lay person, the sequence of introducing civil partnerships and same-sex marriage in England and Wales has been a curious, if not puzzling, progression, perhaps only really understood by the initial opposition to (same sex) civil partnerships, and in particular that they should not be accorded equivalence to marriage. The whole story[1] is also simultaneously one of developing pressure, firstly for the availability of a legal union for same sex couples, and then for greater freedom of choice, and for equal status. The latter was only achieved for civil partnerships[2] after much effort.’
Family Law, 11th June 2021
Source: www.familylaw.co.uk
‘It has become cliché to say that modern familial arrangements are vastly different now to how they were 50 years ago, but that does not make it any less true. In 2019, almost half of all births were outside of a marriage or civil-partnership, and 3,440 children were adopted from local authority care. With the passage of the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act 2013, and the Civil Partnership (Opposite Sex Couples) Regulations 2019, the range of relationships that can be legally recognised, and the form that this recognition takes are also very different. Given the age of many settlements, traditional definitions of “children” or “spouse” can cause real difficulties.’
Wilberforce Chambers, 17th February 2021
Source: www.wilberforce.co.uk
‘Why might couples in England and Wales today opt for a non-legally binding wedding ceremony in addition to their legally binding one?’
Law & Religion UK, 12th January 2021
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
‘Chris and Henry Flanagan-Kane were the first gay men in the UK to get a civil partnership back in 2005.’
BBC News, 7th December 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
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