Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill — Second Reading — 5 Feb 2013 at 18:52

The majority of MPs voted in favour of allowing same sex couples to marry.

Under the law as it was at the time of this vote marriage could only be between a man and a woman. Same sex couples (and only same sex couples) could register a civil partnership under the Civil Partnership Act 2004^[1]

MPs were voting on if the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill^[2] ought be given its second reading; i.e.. if they approved the core principle of the Bill and wished to see it proceed towards becoming law.

Key elements of the Bill (from the explanatory notes^[1]):

• provide that same sex couples can get married in England and Wales;·
• provide that such marriages are to be treated the same as marriages between a man and a woman in England and Wales;
• permit marriage of same sex couples by way of a civil ceremony;
• permit marriage of same sex couples according to religious rites and usages and on religious premises where a religious organisation has opted in to that process (with the exception of the Church of England and the Church in Wales);
• provide a process by which the Church in Wales can request legislative change to allow marriages of same sex couples in their churches if they wish to do so;
• provide that there will be no obligation or compulsion to carry out or participate in a religious marriage ceremony of a same sex couple;·provide protection under equality law for organisations and individual ministers of religion who do not wish to marry same sex couples.

Religious organisations and their representatives who do not wish to marry same sex couples are protected from being compelled to do so through a series of religious protections.

• [1] Explanatory notes to the Bill as introduced on 24 January 2013
• [2] Parliament's webpage on the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill (now the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013)

Debate in Parliament | Source |