Same-sex marriage
has been legal in
Akrotiri and Dhekelia
since 3 June 2014. An
Order in Council
to legalise same-sex marriages was approved by the
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
on 28 April 2014 and came into effect on 3 June. However, this only applies if one of the parties to the
marriage
is a member of the
British Armed Forces
. The order does not apply to the local civil population residing in Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Military personnel have also been able to enter into
civil partnerships
since 2005.
Background
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]
The
British Overseas Territory
of Akrotiri and Dhekelia was established in 1960 by the
London and Zurich Agreements
when
British Cyprus
was granted independence from the
British Empire
. The
United Kingdom
sought to retain sovereignty over the areas of
Akrotiri
and
Dhekelia
as this guaranteed the use of UK military bases on the
island of Cyprus
. The bases are at a strategic location, being at the eastern edge of the
Mediterranean Sea
and close to the
Middle East
and the
Suez Canal
.
[1]
When the
Republic of Cyprus
became independent in 1960, the United Kingdom declared that the laws applicable to the Cypriot population of the Akrotiri and Dhekelia would be as far as possible the same as the laws of Cyprus. Some laws of the Republic, primarily those relating to
agriculture
and
taxes
, are adopted as made by the Republic. Adopted laws form part of the law of the territory without the need for new legislation to be made when the law of Cyprus changes. Some laws of the United Kingdom are also directly applicable to Akrotiri and Dhekelia or have been extended by an
Order in Council
. These laws mainly concern external relations.
[2]
The Administrator of Akrotiri and Dhekelia has also the power, by reason of the
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council, 1960
, to make laws for the territory; primary legislation known as "
ordinances
" and secondary legislation known as "public instruments".
[2]
Same-sex marriage law
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On 17 July 2013, Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II
granted
royal assent
to the
Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013
which legalised
same-sex marriage
in
England and Wales
.
[3]
Sections of the Act permitting same-sex marriages to be solemnised went into effect on 13 March 2014, with the first same-sex marriage ceremonies in
England
occurring on 29 March 2014.
[4]
On 28 April 2014, the
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
enacted the
Overseas Marriage (Armed Forces) Order 2014
, which took effect on 3 June 2014. The order permits same-sex marriages to be conducted at all
British Army bases
, including the bases in Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The intending spouses must provide an advance notice of marriage to their
commanding officer
, who will then issue a certificate permitting the marriage to be solemnised if the parties meet all the requirements to marry. One of the parties must be a member of the
British Armed Forces
, or be a person who performs "administrative, executive, judicial, clerical, typing, duplicating, machine operating, paper keeping, managerial, professional, scientific, experimental, technical, industrial or labouring functions" for the Armed Forces, serving in the territory. The marriage of a same-sex couple may also be solemnised according to the rites of a religious denomination, with the exception of the
Church of England
and the
Church in Wales
.
[5]
[6]
The
United Reformed Church
has allowed its
congregations
to perform same-sex marriages since 2016,
[7]
and has a reverend stationed in Dhekelia.
[8]
Same-sex couples may also enter into a
civil partnership
under the
Civil Partnership (Armed Forces) Order 2005
, which came into effect on 7 December 2005. Similar to a
marriage
, the intending civil partners must provide a notice of proposed civil partnership to a registering officer, and one of the partners must be a member of the Armed Forces or subject to service discipline serving in the territory.
[9]
Both orders do not apply to the local civil population residing in the territory.
The first same-sex couple to marry in the territory were Sergeant Alastair Smith, a member of the 2nd Battalion of the
Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
, and Aaron Weston who married in Dhekelia on 10 September 2016. The marriage ceremony was conducted by Air Vice-Marshal
Michael Wigston
.
[10]
[11]
Cyprus does not recognise same-sex marriage but has offered same-sex couples several of the rights and benefits of marriage in the form of
civil cohabitations
since December 2015.
[12]
See also
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References
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Sovereign states
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States with limited
recognition
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Dependencies and
other entities
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Other entities
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LGBT unions and rights in the territories of the United Kingdom
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Same-sex
marriage
| United Kingdom
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Crown Dependencies
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British Overseas
Territories
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Same-sex
unions
| United Kingdom
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Crown Dependencies
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British Overseas
Territories
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LGBT rights
| United Kingdom
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Crown Dependencies
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British Overseas
Territories
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