I’m an LGBT rights lawyer, and these are some of the strangest cases I’ve had to fight in court – The Independent

Posted July 26th, 2017 in divorce, equality, homosexuality, marriage, news, surrogacy, transgender persons by sally

‘If you are a same sex married couple you cannot get divorced on the grounds of adultery, because ‘adultery’ in UK law still takes a biblical definition meaning a man and a woman. One of my clients couldn’t divorce her husband because he’d been cheating with a man, so it didn’t count as ‘adultery’. Another ran into serious problems with surrogacy.’

Full Story

The Independent, 25th July 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Age limits on drinking, having sex, getting married and being arrested – BBC News

‘Young people get a number of personal freedoms when they turn 16 in some parts of the UK, but they may have to wait another 24 months to gain other rights.’

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BBC News, 4th July 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Finance and Divorce Update April 2017 – Family Law Week

‘Sue Brookes, Senior Associate with Mills & Reeve LLP analyses the news and case law relating to financial remedies and divorce during March 2017.’

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Family Law Week, 20th April 2017

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Civil Partnerships and Marriage: Labels or a state of mind? – Family Law Week

Posted March 17th, 2017 in civil partnerships, marriage, news by tracey

‘David Bedingfield, barrister, 4 Paper Buildings, traces the development of the law relating to marriage and civil partnership up to and including the Court of Appeal’s recent judgment in Steinfeld & Keidan.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 16th March 2017

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Finance and Divorce Update March 2017 – Family Law Week

‘Frances Bailey, Principal Associate and Naomi Shelton, Associate with Mills & Reeve LLP analyse the news and case law relating to financial remedies and divorce during February 2017.’

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Family Law Week, 16th March 2017

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Banns of marriage – their development and future – Law & Religion UK

Posted February 23rd, 2017 in Church of England, disclosure, marriage, news, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales by sally

‘The legal requirement to read banns for couples intending to marry in church services was considered by members of the Church of England General Synod on 14 February 2017. Though Synod rejected moves that sought to end this “ecclesiastical preliminary” to marriage, important arguments were cited both for their retention and for their removal. In this post, we summarize the development and current usage in England and Wales, Scotland and the two jurisdictions in Ireland, and examine possible future directions.’

Full story

Law & Religion UK, 23rd February 2017

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Should heterosexual couples be allowed to enter civil partnerships? – The Guardian

‘A heterosexual couple who labelled traditional marriage as a “sexist” and “patriarchal” institution, have lost their appeal to enter into a civil partnership.’

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The Guardian, 21st February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Keep sex abuse dad’s name off my wedding certificate’ – BBC News

Posted February 17th, 2017 in bills, child abuse, families, marriage, news by sally

‘If Jenny ever gets married, there will be no dad walking her down the aisle and, if she gets her way, no mention of him on her marriage certificate either.’

Full story

BBC News, 17th February 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Unmarried woman wins pension battle – BBC News

‘A woman who lost her long-term partner has won a legal battle that is likely to improve the pension rights of unmarried couples in the public sector.’

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BBC News, 8th February 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Arranged marriages happier, claims former High Court family judge – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 21st, 2016 in judges, marriage, news, statistics by sally

‘Arranged marriage could be happier than marrying for love because it removes the pressure to find the “perfect” partner before settling down, a former top High Court family judge has claimed.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 18th November 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Sham marriage gang jailed for more than 52 years – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted October 25th, 2016 in conspiracy, fraud, gangs, marriage, news, sentencing by michael

‘Eleven people have been jailed after they were found guilty of facilitating and participating in sham marriages between European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and non-EEA nationals.’

Full press release

Crown Prosecution Service, 24th October 2016

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

The 13th Programme – New Law Journal

Posted September 28th, 2016 in inquiries, Law Commission, leases, marriage, news, surrogacy by sally

‘What should the Law Commission include in its next programme of law reform? Kathleen Shields discusses some options’

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New Law Journal, 15th September 2016

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

UK courts should be able to issue Islamic divorces, sharia expert says – The Guardian

Posted September 5th, 2016 in courts, divorce, inquiries, islamic law, marriage, news, women by sally

‘British courts should be able to issue Islamic divorces via a specialised unit set up to protect the rights of Muslim women, a leading expert in sharia law will advise a House of Commons inquiry.’

Full story

The Guardian, 4th September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Finance and Divorce Update August 2016 – Family Law Week

Posted August 19th, 2016 in children, cohabitation, divorce, financial provision, marriage, news, paternity by tracey

‘Edward Heaton, Principal Associate and Jane Booth, Associate, both of Mills & Reeve LLP, analyse the news and case law relating to financial remedies and divorce during July 2016.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 7th August 2016

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Four Latvians jailed in UK for exploiting vulnerable migrants – The Guardian

Posted May 23rd, 2016 in fraud, gangs, immigration, marriage, money laundering, news, sentencing by sally

‘Four members of a Latvian organised crime gang who used vulnerable fellow migrants to launder stolen money and offered their indebted female eastern European workers as brides for hire have been sentenced to a total of 23 years in prison at Huntingdon crown court.’

Full story

The Guardian, 20th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Four guilty of hijacking migrant workers’ bank accounts – The Guardian

‘Three men and a woman convicted of laundering criminally acquired money in Cambridgeshire after trial over offences relating to exploitation of workers.’

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The Guardian, 22nd March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Gay clergyman to appeal after losing discrimination claim – The Guardian

‘A gay clergyman who lost an employment tribunal against the Church of England has been given the right to appeal.’

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The Guardian, 15th March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Heterosexual Civil Partnership Refusal Not A Human Rights Breach – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Steinfeld & Anor v The Secretary of State for Education [2016] EWHC 128 (Admin). The High Court has ruled in the case of Steinfeld and Keidan v Secretary of State for Education, a human rights challenge to the law of Civil Partnerships. Mrs Justice Andrews ruled that the current law does not breach the human rights of opposite-sex couples who cannot obtain a Civil Partnership.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 31st January 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Heterosexual couple lose civil partnership court challenge – BBC News

Posted January 29th, 2016 in civil partnerships, equality, marriage, news by tracey

‘A heterosexual couple who want to have a civil partnership rather than get married have lost a legal challenge.’

Full story

BBC News, 29th January 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK Government tells High Court: Same-sex couples may be shut out of Article 14 – UK Human Rights Blog

‘On 19-20 January, the England and Wales High Court (Mrs. Justice Andrews) heard the judicial review of the ban on different-sex civil partnerships brought by Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan. It was argued on behalf of the supposedly LGBTI-friendly UK Government (represented by Nicky Morgan, the Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities) that the High Court should follow two anti-LGBTI decisions from 2006.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 22nd Janaury 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com