Marriage and Civil Partnership
Marriage and Civil Partnership are legal unions that are available to both same sex and opposite sex couples. They are considered a protected characteristic under the 2010 Equality Act. The law states that you must not be treated less favourably because you are married or in a civil partnership. People who are not married nor in a civil partnership are not included in this protected group.
Research resources
The Civil Partnership Act is an ECU guidance publication about the impact of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 on higher education institutions.
Equal Civil Marriage
Parliament passed the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act in 2013. The Act provides for same-sex marriage in England and Wales and its provisions.