On 5 December, 2005, the Civil Partnerships Act 2004 will come into force, giving same-sex couples the right to have their relationships legally recognised and regulated for the first time in this country.
If a couple gives notice on the first day that the legislation is operative, they will be able to register their partnership on 21 December, 2005, becoming each other’s next of kin and, in the process, enjoying most of the other rights and responsibilities of married people. After registration, the couple are ‘civil partners’. The Act also makes provision for same-sex couples whose partnerships have been registered in certain other countries to be recognised in the UK in the same way.
