Implications of Coronavirus for UK Spouse Visas – Richmond Chambers

‘The Coronavirus and Covid-19 disease are causing a devastating effect across the world. The situation can be especially stressful for individuals who are separated from family members or for those who are worried that their partner may be separated from them if an application to remain in the UK is refused. In this post we will look at some of the key issues that individuals applying to remain with spouses and partners might need to consider in the coming months.’

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Richmond Chamber, 7th April 2020

Source: immigrationbarrister.co.uk

Akhter v Khan: Recognising (or not recognising) religious marriages in the UK – Oxford Human Rights Hub

Posted March 26th, 2020 in appeals, children, divorce, families, interpretation, islamic law, marriage, news by sally

‘Whether and how a religious marriage is recognised in law has profound consequences for couples and their children. This is the question at the heart of the Court of Appeal decision in Attorney General v Akhter and Khan [2020]. Here, the judges were faced with determining the status of a religious ceremony, conducted in a restaurant over 20 years ago – and in doing so, what family law rights the ‘wife’ has against her ‘husband’. In Akhter v Khan [2018] EWFC 54 the High Court argued for a novel solution to this question, through the law on null marriages. Widely praised for its pragmatism, the judge was able to avoid recognising their religious marriage as such, whilst still providing remedial protection to the ‘wife’ under Section 11 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. The Court of Appeal has now reversed this decision and re-asserted the orthodox rules on recognising religious marriages.’

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Oxford Human Rights Hub, 17th March 2020

Source: ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk

Islamic Nikah ceremony and marriage validity – Family Law

Posted March 13th, 2020 in appeals, divorce, families, financial provision, Islam, islamic law, marriage, news by tracey

‘The case of Khan v Akhter has now been decided by the Court of Appeal. It received a huge amount of coverage in the legal press and beyond. In simple terms, the court has ruled that a couple who went through a religious-only wedding ceremony in the UK are neither validly married nor parties to a void marriage, overturning an earlier decision of the High Court.’

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Family Law, 12th March 2020

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Court of Appeal clarifies the law on marriage formalities (Akhter v Khan) – Family Law

Posted March 5th, 2020 in divorce, financial provision, Islam, marriage, news by tracey

‘Family analysis: Siddique Patel, solicitor at Shoosmiths, discusses the decision of the Court of Appeal overturning that of Williams J when he ruled that an Islamic Nikah ceremony could be classed as a void marriage giving rise to financial remedies.’

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Family Law, 5th March 2020

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Unmarried partners still missing bereavement payments – BBC News

‘Means-tested payments of up to £10,000 are made to parents whose husband, wife or civil partner has died.’

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BBC News, 3rd March 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

EP 103: Secular law intervenes in religious marital deadlock – Anthony Metzer – Law Pod UK

Posted February 26th, 2020 in divorce, families, Judaism, marriage, news by sally

‘New UK law on oppressive behaviour in a relationship has been used successfully to persuade a recalcitrant Jewish husband to grant his wife a divorce recognisable in the religious courts: Rosalind English discusses this landmark case with Anthony Metzer QC”.’

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Law Pod UK, 24th February 2020

Source: audioboom.com

Muslim Non-Marriages – Becket Chambers

Posted February 21st, 2020 in appeals, chambers articles, divorce, Islam, islamic law, marriage, news by sally

‘In 1999, Jerry Hall and Mick Jagger separated and in a move heralding a long and acrimonious legal battle, Jagger sensationally released a public statement saying that he would be contesting Jerry Hall’s petition for divorce on the grounds that he and Jerry Hall were not and never had been married!’

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Becket Chambers, 17th February 2020

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

Appeal Court rules Islamic marriages invalid in UK – BBC News

Posted February 17th, 2020 in appeals, divorce, Islam, islamic law, marriage, news by sally

‘A court has reversed a judgment from two years ago which found that a couple who had an Islamic wedding ceremony could legally divorce.’

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BBC News, 14th February 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

A novel approach to Get refusal: the use of the offence of coercive control to obtain a religious divorce – Oxford Human Rights Hub

Posted February 12th, 2020 in coercive & controlling behaviour, divorce, human rights, Judaism, marriage, news, women by sally

‘For Jewish women, obtaining a religious divorce (Get) can be life-changing. Women denied a Get are considered ‘chained’ to their husband, preventing them from re-marrying within the faith (whilst not affecting the husband’s ability to re-marry). The power to grant the Get is usually considered the unilateral right of the husband. Because a purely religious marriage is not recognised in England as a civil marriage, women have little recourse to the courts. So, what happens when a husband refuses to grant a religious divorce to his wife? For these women, their human rights to manifest their religion and to enter into marriages are denied, such that they cannot live fully as both religious individuals and bearers of human rights. However, a novel approach to this problem, a private prosecution for coercive control, could offer Jewish women an alternative avenue to protect their human rights.’

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Oxford Human Rights Hub, 4th February 2020

Source: ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk

Civil partnerships for heterosexual couples: what you need to know – Family Law

‘As of 31st December 2019, it is now possible for both same-sex and heterosexual couples to enter into a civil partnership. The institution was initially devised solely for same-sex couples through the Civil Partnership Act 2004; it was meant to be a distinct separate relationship status for same-sex couples akin, but different to, a marriage. This has now changed and moving into 2020, heterosexual couples may opt for a civil partnership instead of a marriage.’

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Family Law, 5th February 2020

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Humanist weddings and the Marriage (Approved Organisations) Bill – Law & Religion UK

Posted January 15th, 2020 in bills, equality, marriage, news by sally

‘On 9 January, Baroness Meacher introduced the Marriage (Approved Organisations) Bill in the House of Lords.’

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Law & Religion UK, 14th January 2020

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Family Law Newsletter #32 – Spire Barristers

Posted January 9th, 2020 in care orders, civil partnerships, guardianship, marriage, news by sally

‘Articles from around the web, Legislation updates and Case Updates from Care Proceedings and Financial Remedy matters.’

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Spire Barristers, 6th January 2020

Source: spirebarristers.co.uk

Divorce reform swiftly returns to parliament – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 8th, 2020 in bills, divorce, marriage, news, reasons by sally

‘The government has swiftly put long-awaited divorce reform back on the agenda after reintroducing legislation to end what the justice secretary called ‘needless antagonism’.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 7th January 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Islamist fighter’s wife Amaani Noor guilty of £34 terror donation – BBC News

Posted December 13th, 2019 in families, internet, Islam, marriage, married persons, news, terrorism by sally

‘A woman who married an Islamist fighter online has been convicted of funding terrorism.‎’

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BBC News, 12th December 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Civil Partnerships – A new inequality created by the correction of an old one? – 5SAH

‘Civil partnerships are now to be open to all but the solution of that problem has led to another – while same-sex couples can convert a civil partnership to a marriage, there is no provision for opposite-sex couples to do the same.’

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5SAH, 9th December 2019

Source: www.5sah.co.uk

British women ‘being forced into polygamous relationships’ because law lets them down, campaigners say – The Independent

Posted November 25th, 2019 in islamic law, marriage, married persons, news, women by sally

‘British women are increasingly being pressured into polygamous relationships or left without child support when relationships break up because UK law does not offer adequate protection to spouses in religious marriages, campaigners have warned.’

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The Independent, 25th November 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

High Court rules marriage between trans man and woman invalid by as both were legally female during ceremony – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 21st, 2019 in birth certificates, families, gender, human rights, marriage, news, transgender persons by tracey

‘A High Court judge has ruled that a marriage between a woman and a trans man was void because both parties were legally female during the ceremony.’

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Daily Telegraph, 20th November 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Ban child marriage: safeguard futures – Counsel

Posted November 20th, 2019 in children, consent, marriage, news by sally

‘Child marriage is ‘any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child’ (UNICEF). Child marriage is not a criminal offence in England and Wales. Children can marry between the ages of 16-17 with parental consent in accordance with s 3 of the Marriage Act 1949. Marriages that take place involving children below the age of 16 are void but they are not criminalised. There is no legal provision currently in place that prevents religious or customary child marriages, at any age, from taking place. Often religious or customary marriages carry even more weight than civil marriages within certain families or communities. Whilst there may only be a minority of civil marriages taking place with parental consent between children from the ages of 16-17 years old, it is unknown how many British children are married abroad and how many religious and customary marriages involving children take place each year.’

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Counsel, November 2019

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Civil partnerships legislation – unfinished business – Law & Religion UK

The draft Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (“the Regulations”) was the first item of the secondary legislation within the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 (“the Act”) to achieve the necessary approval of both Houses under the affirmative resolution procedure. It was also the last item of debated business before parliament was dissolved on 6 November. Through section 2(2) of the Act the regulations were subject to a “sunset clause” which required them to be in force by the end of December, and as such, only limited time was available for its scrutiny and approval; this left a number of items of unfinished business, and these are summarized below.

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Law & Religion UK, 18th November 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Marriages of Convenience: Preparation and Procedures – Drystone Chambers

Posted November 7th, 2019 in appeals, immigration, marriage, news by sally

‘Recently I was instructed on an EEA case, where a marriage between an EEA national and an Albanian national was alleged to be a marriage of convenience after a “Mr and Mrs” marriage interview. The unusual feature in this case was that they had answered virtually all of the questions put to them with a high degree of consistency, which would usually be taken as evidence of the marriage being genuine.’

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Drystone Chambers, October 2019

Source: drystone.com