What is a civil partnership and how is it different to marriage?

News

What is a civil partnership and how is it different to marriage?

2020-01-02 14:13 Last Updated At：14:13

A change in the law means mixed-sex couples can become civil partners.

Heterosexual couples across England and Wales are now able to enter into a civil partnership.

A change in legislation means that mixed-sex couples can become civil partners as opposed to husband and wife – an option previously only eligible for same-sex partners.

What is a civil partnership?

A civil partnership gives a relationship legal recognition – in terms of legal rights as well as legal responsibilities – that is similar to a marriage.

To become civil partners, the couple must sign a civil partnership document in front of two witnesses and a registrar.

This style of union was first legalised for same-sex couples under the Civil Partnership Act 2004, which provided a legal mechanism to recognise same-sex relationships.

Since 2013, same-sex couples have been able to marry as well as enter a civil partnership, whereas opposite-sex couples have only had the option of marriage.

What are the similarities and differences?

Although there are not many day-to-day differences between marriage and a civil partnership, civil partners cannot call themselves “married” for legal purposes.

A civil partnership certificate also includes the names of both parents of the parties and so is different to a marriage certificate, which only includes the names of both fathers.

Georgina Hamblin, head of London Family at divorce lawyers Vardags, says the legal and financial protections for civil partners “is virtually identical to that of married couples”.

“So civil partnerships should not be seen as the softer and less significant option,” she added.

Mixed-sex civil partners will have similar rights and entitlements as married couples, such as marriage allowance tax relief, exemption from inheritance tax and joint parental responsibility for children.

Why do heterosexual couples want a civil partnership?

Campaigners say a civil partnership offers the legal security of marriage without concerns over religion and gender inequality.

Ms Hamblin believes that couples opting out of marriage often put themselves and their children at the risk of financial peril in the event of a relationship breakdown.

“It is quite amazing how many people still believe in the myth of the “common law marriage” and that after a handful of years you get some ‘rights’ against the other,” she said.

“This is just not true and is a very dangerous assumption that I see playing out with devastating results very regularly as a divorce lawyer.

“It is my hope that with this new, gender-equal, blank canvas available, cohabiting heterosexual couples will seize their opportunity now to show their commitment to each other whilst providing financial security for their partners and their children.”

Yemen’s separatists announce a constitution for an independent south in escalation of conflict

ADEN, Yemen (AP) — Yemen 's separatist movement on Friday announced a constitution for an independent nation in the south and demanded other factions in the war-torn country accept the move in an escalation of a confrontation that has pitted Gulf powerhouses Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates against each other.

The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council depicted the announcement as a declaration of independence for the south. But it was not immediately clear if the move could be implemented or was largely symbolic. Last month, STC-linked fighters seized control of two southern provinces from Saudi-backed forces and took over the Presidential Palace in the south's main city, Aden. Members of the internationally recognized government — which had been based in Aden — fled to the Saudi-capital Riyadh.

On Friday, Saudi warplanes bombed camps and military positions held by the STC in Hadramout province as Saudi-backed fighters tried to seize the facilities, a separatist official said. It was the latest direct intervention by Saudi Arabia, which in recent weeks has bombed STC forces and struck what is said was a shipment of Emirati weapons destined for the separatists.

Ostensibly, Saudi Arabia and the UAE and their allies on the ground in Yemen have all been part of a Saudi-led coalition fighting Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who control the north in the country's decade-long civil war. The coalition's professed goal has long been to restore the internationally recognized government, which was driven out of the north by the Houthis. But tensions between the factions and the two Gulf nations appear to be unraveling the coalition, threatening to throw them into outright conflict and further tear apart the Arab world's poorest country.

The head of the STC, Aidarous al-Zubaid, issued a video statement Friday saying that the constitution his group issued would be in effect for two years, after which a a referendum would be held on “exercising the right to self-determination for the people of the South.” During those two years, he said, the “relevant parties” in north and south Yemen should hold a dialogue on “a path and mechanisms that guarantee the right of the people of the South.”

He said that if the other factions don't agree to his call or if they take military action, “all options remain open.”

The 30-article “constitution” proclaimed the creation of “the State of South Arabia," covering the same territory of the former People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen, the independent southern state that existed from 1967-1990.

It seemed to be the most overt move yet by the STC toward its long-proclaimed goal of independence. In the confusion that has reigned in the south in recent weeks, it was not clear what practical impact it would have. But the declaration could set back efforts to avert an outright conflict between the separatists and the rest of the Saudi-led coalition.

The UAE’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday that the country was dealing with the situation “with restraint, coordination, and a deliberate commitment to de-escalation, guided by a foreign policy that consistently prioritizes regional stability over impulsive action.”

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen demands the withdrawal of the STC-linked Southern Shield forces from the two governorates they seized, Hadramout and Mahra, as part of de-escalation efforts. The STC has so far refused to hand over its weapons and camps.

Saudi-backed fighters, known as the National Shield Forces, advanced on two STC-camps in Hadramout, said a senior STC official, Ahmed bin Breik, a former governor of the province. The separatist forces refused to withdraw and in response, Saudi planes struck the camps, he said.

Mohamed al-Nakib, spokesperson for the STC-backed forces, said the strikes caused fatalities, without providing details. The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify that claim.

He told the AP later Friday that “intense clashes” erupted between his forces and the National Shield forces across several areas of Hadramout.

It was not clear if the Saudi-backed forces succeeded in retaking the camps.

Salem al-Khanbashi, the governor of Hadramout who was chosen Friday by Yemen's internationally recognized government to command the Saudi-led forces in the governorate, said the move to reclaim the camps was “not a declaration of war and is not seeking an escalation.” He said it was a “pre-emptive measure to remove weapons.”

In a post on X, the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed al-Jaber, said the kingdom had tried “all efforts with STC” for weeks "to stop the escalation" and to urge the separatists to leave Hadramout and Mahra, only to be faced with “continued intransigence and rejection from Aidarous al-Zubaidi."

Al-Jaber said the STC had not permitted a Saudi delegation's jet to land in Aden, despite having agreed on its arrival with some STC leaders to find a solution that serves “everyone and the public interest.”

Yemen’s Transportation Ministry, aligned with STC, said Saudi Arabia on Thursday imposed requirements mandating that flights to and from Aden International Airport undergo inspection in Jeddah. The ministry denounced the decision. There was no confirmation from Saudi authorities.

ِA spokesperson with the transport ministry told the AP late Thursday that all flights from and to the UAE were suspended until Saudi Arabia reverses these reported measures.

Khaled reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.