Legal
The Civil Partnership Act 2004  
The Civil Partnership Act 2004 received Royal Assent on 18 November 2004. It will come into force on 5 December 2005. For the first time in UK statutory law, Parliament has fully recognised same-sex couples as on a par with married couples. The only significant differences relate to the registration process and to the omission of a duty to consummate the relationship. There is also room for equalising the way the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act deals with authomatic recognition of parentage, which can be done when that Act is revised. The Civil Partnership Act extends to the whole of the UK including Northern Ireland and Scotland. There will now have to be secondary legislation to provide for the detail of procedures, which is likely to take a year. The Act is expected to come into force at the end of 2005 or the beginning of 2006. |
LAGLA
lagla is the Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association for England and Wales. Although most of there members are in London we have members all over the United Kingdom. They have regular parties where members can meet other gay and lesbian lawyers and make contact in a social informal atmosphere and also organise lectures, seminars and conferences. GayLawNet
GayLawNet is dedicated to providing news, general information and resources concerning laws affecting the global gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and intersex (GLBTI) community and the simplest access to a gay or lesbian (or gay or lesbian-friendly) lawyer. |
The National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Bar Association
The National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Bar Association is a national association of lawyers, judges and other legal professionals, law students, activists, and affiliate lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgender legal organizations. The LGBT Bar promotes justice in and through the legal profession for the LGBT community in all its diversity. Visit the website: The National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Bar Association Gay and Lesbian Marriage in the USA
USA. Another complex country, in this case as a result of having 50 states, all with differing laws. Many states have implemented some degree of equality, especially in the workplace/pensions/health fields with domestic partner benefits. The majority of states have implemented constitutional amendments or laws defining "marriage" as being between a man and a woman, thus preventing in introduction of "same-sex marriage". As noted above, Connecticut has this definition, but this year introduced a form of civil partnership for same sex couples. Massachusetts introduced same-sex marriage on the order of the state's Supreme Judicial Court in 2004. There are moves to bring into effect either a redefinition to a "partnership" or bring in a law/amendment that would in effect reverse the court decision. Vermont was the first state to introduce same-sex partnerships/unions (2000).
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