The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 will come into force on 2 December 2019 s to allow two people who are not of the same sex to form a civil partnership in England and Wales. The Regulations provide in the main for an opposite-sex couple who form a civil partnership to be treated in law in the same way as a same-sex couple who are in a civil partnership, as is currently the case under The Civil Partnership Act 2004. The Regulations will: (a) extend the scope of the protected characteristic of civil partnership under S.8 of the Equality Act 2010 to include opposite couples; and (b) amend the law so that religious organisations cannot be compelled to be involved in any part of civil partnership proceedings relating to same sex, or opposite sex couples.

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