Correspondence in relation to same sex marriage: FOI release

FOI reference: FOI/17/01316
Date received: 12 June 2017
Date responded: 17 July 2017

Information requested

All correspondence between Marco Biagi MSP and Arlene Foster MLA in relation to changing civil partnerships registered outside of Scotland to marriage in Scotland. You also asked for any correspondence between any officials/civil servants in the Scottish Government and the Northern Irish government in relation to same sex marriage and couples from Northern Ireland.

Response

By way of background, section 8 of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 made provision so that civil partners in a partnership registered in Scotland can, if they wish, change their relationship to marriage in Scotland. Section 9 of the 2014 Act gives a power to the Scottish Ministers to make a Scottish Statutory Instrument (SSI) so that couples in a civil partnership registered outside of Scotland can also, if they wish, change their relationship to marriage in Scotland.

The Scottish Ministers have made an SSI under section 9.

The Scottish Government has also issued guidance to couples considering changing their civil partnership registered outside of Scotland to a marriage in Scotland:

Before making the SSI, the Scottish Government issued a consultation on a draft order on changing civil partnerships registered outwith Scotland into marriage in Scotland. The consultation follows an earlier discussion paper.

• See Annex B PDF for Email exchanges on changing non-Scottish CPs to marriages in Scotland

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FOI-17-01316 related docs - same sex marriage.pdf

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48 page PDF

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1.7 MB