At Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet meeting today it was agreed that the county’s register offices will offer ceremonies to celebrate same-sex civil partnerships from December 2005.
The landmark Civil Partnerships Act received Royal Assent last year and places a statutory requirement on all local registration authorities to administer civil partnerships and issue certificates.
Civil Partnerships will allow same-sex couples to make a formal, legal commitment to each other. At present, same-sex couples have no way of gaining formal legal recognition for their relationship and as a result suffer a range of problems in their everyday lives.
However, the act leaves certain elements of civil partnerships subject to local discretion, particularly the number of access points and whether any ceremony is offered. Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet today voted to offer civil partnerships with ceremonies at all its register offices. From December 2005 it is expected that the 100 or so approved venues in Cumbria will be deemed under Government proposals to be approved for the formation of civil partnerships and they may offer ceremonies as well.
Ian Stewart, Cumbria County Council spokesman for the Registrars Service said:
"Cumbria County Council celebrates diversity and aims to ensure that everyone in the county is treated with equity, tolerance and respect. Same-sex couples rightly expect the same level of service that we offer to couples entering a traditional marriage. Today we have demostrated that we are a progressive, forward thinking council, committed to furthering that expectation."
The act will be implemented from 5 December 2005 and any couple wishing to form a civil partnership can give notice of their intent to register from that date. Allowing for the standard 15-day waiting period, this means that Cumbria’s first civil partnerships could be formed in time for Christmas.
The County Council’s Register Offices have already taken enquiries about civil partnerships from a number of Cumbrian same-sex couples. Also, as Cumbria has always been a popular location for traditional weddings (a status which has benefited the local economy), it is expected that the county will attract couples from around the country looking to register and celebrate their partnership in Cumbria