Civil partnership is a new legal relationship in the UK, exclusively for same-sex couples and distinct from marriage. A couple who seek to register their civil partnership must be of the same sex, not already in a civil partnership or marriage, aged 16 or older, and not within the prohibited degrees of relationship (ie, related).

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, individuals aged 16 and 17 will have to get the written consent of their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) before registering a civil partnership. In Scotland, individuals aged 16 or over will be able to register their partnership without the need for parental consent.

Every local authority will be required to provide a facility for the registration of a civil partnership. There will be a 14-day waiting period in the North (15 days in the rest of the UK) once each person has given formal notice of intention to register, before the civil partnership can be registered.

Civil partnership registration is a secular process, and the Civil Partnership Act prevents any religious service taking place during the formation of a civil partnership.

Civil partnership ends only on formal dissolution or annulment, or on the death of one of the parties. Dissolution will be in a court and the person applying for the partnership to be dissolved will have to provide evidence that the civil partnership has broken down irretrievably.

As Irish people are automatically entitled to residency in the UK, they can form a civil partnership there after seven days living in the area of registration. However, such a union would not be recognised in the Republic.

It is believed that the forthcoming report from the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution will not recommend measures to broaden the definition of family, on the pretext that this will lay the foundations for opening up civil marriage to same-sex couples in Ireland.