The first civil partnership to be converted to a marriage in Northern Ireland, takes place today.
For the first time same sex couples will be able to swap their civil partnership certificate to a marriage certificate.
And 17 couples are booked in for the process today at Belfast City Hall.
The new legislation also allows for couples in opposite sex marriage to convert their married status to a civil partnership.
The new relationship conversion rule will apply until December 6, 2023 and Finance Minister Conor Murphy vowed to waive the £8 fee for all couples in the first 12 months of the programme.
He said: “Today is an important milestone in the campaign for marriage equality.
“There are over 1,300 same sex civil partnerships here. Seventeen couples are expected to convert their civil partnerships to marriages today with a total of 32 planned for this week.
“As a gesture of support I have waived the conversion fee for those couples and for all couples who wish to convert their civil partnership to a marriage for a full year.
“I would like to congratulate those couples who are converting their partnerships today and wish them a very happy life together.”
Couples can convert their same sex civil partnership to a marriage if they:
- formed a civil partnership in Northern Ireland
- formed a civil partnership abroad at a consular or embassy under the Civil Partnership (Registration Abroad and Certificates) Order 2000, or
- formed a civil partnership abroad where at least one party had an armed forces connection under the Civil Partnership (Armed Forces) Order 2005
And couples can convert their opposite sex marriage to a civil partnership if they:
- solemnised a marriage in Northern Ireland
- solemnised a marriage abroad at a consular or embassy under Part 2 of The Consular Marriages and Marriages under Foreign Law (No.2) Order 2014, or
- solemnised a marriage abroad where at least one party had a armed forces connection under the Overseas Marriage (Armed Forces) Order 2014
Once a civil partnership is converted into a marriage or a marriage converted into a civil partnership the original civil partnership or marriage ends.
And the conversion is effectively ‘backdated’ to the date of the original event and they will be given a certificate.
Couples can convert a same sex civil partnership into a marriage at:
- a register office
- an approved venue, or
- a place in Northern Ireland by an officiant who is authorised to conduct same sex marriage
Anyone who wishes to participate, should contact their local registration office in the district they wish the conversion of the relationship to take place.
Both parties will need to attend together at the registration office to submit the application and the required evidence which will be their current civil partnership or marriage certificate and proof of identity.
The registrar will be able to make an appointment for a date from today, December 7, 2020 onwards.
