Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act
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| Long title | An Act to make provision for the marriage of same sex couples in England and Wales, about gender change by married persons and civil partners, about consular functions in relation to marriage, for the marriage of armed forces personnel overseas, for permitting marriages according to the usages of belief organisations to be solemnized on the authority of certificates of a superintendent registrar, for the review of civil partnership, for the review of survivor benefits under occupational pension schemes, and for connected purposes. |
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| Citation | 2013 c. 30 |
| Introduced by | Maria Miller |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales (but see Section 20(2) and 20(3)) |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 17 July 2013 |
| Commencement | Between 17 July 2013 and 10 December 2014 |
| Other legislation | |
| Relates to |
Marriage Act 1949 Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 Gender Recognition Act 2004 Civil Partnership Act 2004 |
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Status: Current legislation
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| History of passage through Parliament | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (c. 30) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which legalised same-sex marriage in England and Wales.
Civil partnership became legal in the United Kingdom in 2004, allowing same-sex couples and couples of whom one spouse had changed gender to live in legally recognised intimate partnerships similar to marriage, but without permitting them to marry, or describe themselves as married. It also compelled couples to end their marriage if one or both spouses underwent gender change surgery, or if the couple were not recognised in law as having male and female gender.
Following the 2010 General Election, in September 2011, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Equalities, Lynne Featherstone, announced that the Government of the United Kingdom would launch a consultation in March 2012 on how to introduce civil marriage for same sex couples in England and Wales. The consultation closed in June 2012 and, in December 2012, the new Minister for Women and Equalities, Maria Miller, announced that the Government would be introducing legislation "within the lifetime of this Parliament" and that they were "working towards this happening within this Parliamentary Session". The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill was introduced into Parliament on 24 January 2013. The leaders of the three main political parties in the United Kingdom gave their MPs a free vote on the legislation, meaning they would not be whipped to vote in favour or against it.
The Bill was welcomed by many, including the gay rights campaigning group Stonewall. The organisation Labour Humanists said there was "no credible ethical reason" to oppose gay marriage and Minister for Women and Equalities, Maria Miller, told the House of Commons that the proposals "will strengthen, not weaken" the institution of marriage.
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