ALL couples will be given the option of having a civil partnership in Scotland under new proposals to equalise legally recognised relationships.
Legislation will be introduced at the Scottish Parliament after the summer recess to ensure same-sex couples and mixed-sex couples have the same choices on whether to marry or have a civil partnership.
The chief executive of Humanist Society Scotland, Fraser Sutherland, welcomed the move. He said: “We are delighted after campaigning for such a change for the past five years that the Scottish Government has agreed to extend civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples.
“It is disappointing that it took a couple to lodge a legal challenge at the Supreme Court to force the issue but now we will be able to offer all couples the choice of a legal marriage or civil partnership, and we look forward to carrying out the first of these opposite-sex civil partnerships in the months to come.”
The Scottish Government held a consultation over the future of civil partnerships, looking at whether they should be scrapped or be extended to mixed sex couples.
A ruling in the UK Supreme Court last year declared that the UK Civil Partnership Act 2004 was not compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (EHCR) on equality grounds as it prevents mixed-sex couples from entering into civil partnerships.
Following the consultation, the Scottish Government decided making civil partnerships available to all would be the best way to remove the ECHR incompatibility from the law in Scotland.
Social Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “All couples will now have the option of a civil partnership or marriage, which is a groundbreaking change for Scotland. We will be providing people with the option to enter into a legally recognised relationship which reflects their personal views.
She added: “We wanted to ensure all voices were heard in regard to the future of civil partnership in Scotland and listened very carefully to the views of respondents to the consultation.
“This is about ensuring we are compatible with ECHR law and creating an inclusive, fairer Scotland which promotes equality of choice and human rights for everyone.”
Scottish Greens co-convenor Patrick Harvie said: “Almost 20 years ago the Scottish Greens adopted policy in favour of both marriage and civil partnership being open to mixed-sex and same-sex couples equally.
“It’s taken others some time to catch up but I’m pleased that the Scottish Government has now confirmed it plans to legislate.”
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