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| Heterosexual couple lose civil partnership challenge | Heterosexual couple lose civil partnership challenge |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A heterosexual couple have lost their Court of Appeal battle to have a civil partnership instead of a marriage. | A heterosexual couple have lost their Court of Appeal battle to have a civil partnership instead of a marriage. |
| Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan, from London, challenged a ruling that said they did not meet the legal requirement of being the same sex. | Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan, from London, challenged a ruling that said they did not meet the legal requirement of being the same sex. |
| The judges said there was a potential breach of their human rights, but the government should have more time to decide the future of civil partnership. | |
| The couple said there was still "everything to fight for". | The couple said there was still "everything to fight for". |
| They intend to appeal to the Supreme Court. | They intend to appeal to the Supreme Court. |
| A government spokesman said it welcomed the ruling and would take the judgement into account during its evaluation of civil partnerships. | |
| 'Long overdue' | 'Long overdue' |
| The BBC's legal affairs correspondent Clive Coleman said the couple had lost by the "narrowest of margins" as all three judges accepted there was a potential breach of their human rights. | |
| Our correspondent said: "The government's 'wait and see' policy, which is based on looking at the take-up of same-sex civil partnerships, was found by Lady Justice Arden not to be not good enough to address the discrimination faced by heterosexual couples. | Our correspondent said: "The government's 'wait and see' policy, which is based on looking at the take-up of same-sex civil partnerships, was found by Lady Justice Arden not to be not good enough to address the discrimination faced by heterosexual couples. |
| "However, her fellow judges were prepared to let the government have a little more time and so the case was lost on that issue alone." | "However, her fellow judges were prepared to let the government have a little more time and so the case was lost on that issue alone." |
| 'Equality and choice' | 'Equality and choice' |
| Kate Stewart and Matthew Cole, 46, decided to get a civil partnership in Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory, in June 2016, after deciding marriage was not for them. | Kate Stewart and Matthew Cole, 46, decided to get a civil partnership in Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory, in June 2016, after deciding marriage was not for them. |
| "Matthew and I didn't feel that marriage reflected our relationship," said Dr Stewart, from Derby. | "Matthew and I didn't feel that marriage reflected our relationship," said Dr Stewart, from Derby. |
| "The institution [of marriage] is very much unequal depending on your religion. | "The institution [of marriage] is very much unequal depending on your religion. |
| "We therefore felt it wasn't a status we were comfortable with because it still had hangovers of inequality from the past." | "We therefore felt it wasn't a status we were comfortable with because it still had hangovers of inequality from the past." |
| Dr Stewart, 48, said although they believed marriage was right for some couples, it was about having the choice. | Dr Stewart, 48, said although they believed marriage was right for some couples, it was about having the choice. |
| They wanted recognition of their relationship after 10 years together, although their civil partnership is still not legally recognised in the UK. | They wanted recognition of their relationship after 10 years together, although their civil partnership is still not legally recognised in the UK. |
| "We paid for the ceremony in pounds, we have a certificate, it was all very British, but as soon as we were back home we didn't have legal recognition," Dr Stewart said. | "We paid for the ceremony in pounds, we have a certificate, it was all very British, but as soon as we were back home we didn't have legal recognition," Dr Stewart said. |
| "The declaration that we were both each other's partner was quite moving... we were on an equal footing. It was surprisingly touching." | "The declaration that we were both each other's partner was quite moving... we were on an equal footing. It was surprisingly touching." |
| Why choose civil partnership over marriage? | Why choose civil partnership over marriage? |
| Ms Steinfeld, 35, and Mr Keidan, 40, want to secure legal recognition of their seven-year relationship but do not consider marriage suitable for them. | Ms Steinfeld, 35, and Mr Keidan, 40, want to secure legal recognition of their seven-year relationship but do not consider marriage suitable for them. |
| The couple, who have a 20-month-old daughter, have said they want to formalise their relationship within a social institution "which is modern, which is symmetrical and that focuses on equality, which is exactly what a civil partnership is". | The couple, who have a 20-month-old daughter, have said they want to formalise their relationship within a social institution "which is modern, which is symmetrical and that focuses on equality, which is exactly what a civil partnership is". |
| "We lost on a technicality," Ms Steinfeld said. | |
| "So there's everything to fight for, and much in the ruling that gives us reason to be positive and keep going." | "So there's everything to fight for, and much in the ruling that gives us reason to be positive and keep going." |
| Since the start of their campaign, more than 72,000 people have signed an online petition calling for civil partnerships to be open to all. | |
| In July 2016, the Isle of Man became the only part of the British Isles where both gay and straight couples can enter civil partnerships. | In July 2016, the Isle of Man became the only part of the British Isles where both gay and straight couples can enter civil partnerships. |
| London couple Claire Beale, 49, and Martin Loat, 55, became the first UK couple to take advantage of the legislation in the British Crown Dependency last year, but their partnership is not legally recognised in the UK. | London couple Claire Beale, 49, and Martin Loat, 55, became the first UK couple to take advantage of the legislation in the British Crown Dependency last year, but their partnership is not legally recognised in the UK. |
| 'Close the loophole' | |
| Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, who supported Ms Steinfeld and Mr Keidan in court, said the ruling was "a defeat for love and equality". | |
| "It cannot be right that lesbian and gay couples have two options, civil partnership and civil marriage; whereas opposite-sex partners have only one option, marriage," he said. | |
| Education campaigner and journalist Fiona Millar, who has been in a relationship with journalist Alastair Campbell for 35 years and has three adult children, provided a witness statement for the court saying they had chosen not to get married "on principle". | |
| After the ruling, she said: "I am one of thousands and thousands of people in the UK in a mixed-sex relationship who will now be looking at the government and waiting for them to close the civil partnerships loophole by making them available to all." | |
| Conservative MP Tim Loughton, who recently introduced a Private Member's Bill to give mixed-sex couples the right to a civil partnership, said the government had "no excuse" for delaying a change in the law as the bill received cross-party backing. | |
| 'Borrowed time' | 'Borrowed time' |
| The Court of Appeal agreed that Ms Steinfeld and Mr Keidan had established a potential violation of Article 14 of the European Convention, which relates to discrimination, taken with Article 8, which refers to respect for private and family life. | The Court of Appeal agreed that Ms Steinfeld and Mr Keidan had established a potential violation of Article 14 of the European Convention, which relates to discrimination, taken with Article 8, which refers to respect for private and family life. |
| But, by a majority, the judges said it was at present justified by the government's policy of "wait and evaluate". | But, by a majority, the judges said it was at present justified by the government's policy of "wait and evaluate". |
| Dan Squires, QC for the secretary of state for education, who has responsibility for equalities within government, said it had been decided at this stage, not to extend civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples, or to either abolish or phase them out. | |
| Instead, he said the government planned to see how extending marriage to same-sex couples impacted on civil partnerships before making a final decision. | |
| All three judges agreed that the status quo could not continue indefinitely. | All three judges agreed that the status quo could not continue indefinitely. |
| The government was on "borrowed time", Ms Steinfeld said after the hearing. | The government was on "borrowed time", Ms Steinfeld said after the hearing. |
| Civil Partnerships explained | Civil Partnerships explained |
| Ms Steinfeld and Mr Keidan, who live in Hammersmith, west London, originally applied for notice to form a civil partnership in 2014, but were turned away by the registrars. | Ms Steinfeld and Mr Keidan, who live in Hammersmith, west London, originally applied for notice to form a civil partnership in 2014, but were turned away by the registrars. |
| In the same year, the Same Sex Couples Marriage Act extended the right to marry to gay couples in England and Wales, who can now choose between civil partnership and marriage. The couple contend that the same choice should be available to all couples. | In the same year, the Same Sex Couples Marriage Act extended the right to marry to gay couples in England and Wales, who can now choose between civil partnership and marriage. The couple contend that the same choice should be available to all couples. |
| Are you a heterosexual couple who would like to undertake a civil partnership? What do you think about the ruling against civil partnerships for heterosexual couples? Tell us your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk | |
| You can also contact us in the following ways: | |
| Downsizing - 38884601 | |
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