Heterosexual couple lose Court of Appeal battle to enter into civil partnership =============================================================================== ![Heterosexual couple lose Court of Appeal battle to enter into civil partnership](https://vardags.com/images/pictures/_360/5c3e026f4f42b8c31df720308670dde4.jpeg)Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan have [lost](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39039146) their Court of Appeal battle to enter into a Civil Partnership. The couple took their case to the Court of Appeal following their [High Court defeat](https://vardags.com/family-law-news/heterosexual-civil-partnership-couple-lose-in-high-court) last year, which met with widespread media coverage. They challenged the High Court judgment which ruled that they could not have a civil partnership because they did not meet the legal requirements. The Civil Partnership Act 2004 requires that partners be "two people of the same sex". The couple argued that this was discriminatory. Uptake of civil partnerships has [dropped sharply](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/dec/21/uk-civil-partnerships-decline-as-they-hit-their-tenth-birthday) since same-sex marriage was introduced in England, Wales and Scotland in 2014. Vardags barrister John Oxley had this to say: > "This Appeal appears to have been decided on a knife-edge. All three judges accepted that the current situation was a discriminatory imposition on the couple's human rights, but Lord Justices Beatson and Briggs held that the current government policy of taking further time to consider the future of civil partnerships was sufficient justification of that breach. Lady Justice Arden did not. It is clear from the judgment that something must change. Once the government has had adequate time to review its policy then we may see civil partnerships extended to all, or else consigned to history and abolished altogether." "Ayesha Vardag - Britain's top divorce lawyer." ![The Huffington Post](https://vardags.com/images/logo/huffpost.png) "Ayesha Vardag - Woman of the Year"![GG2](https://vardags.com/images/logo/gg2-3.png) "Leading, Magic Circle law firm."Mr Justice Coleridge "A handful of firms dominate the so-called 'glamour' end of the market ... Vardags"The Times "One of the best divorce lawyers in the country"Marie Claire "Ayesha Vardag - 'diva of divorce' for the world's super rich" ![BBC](https://vardags.com/images/logo/bbc.png) "Dr Stephen Bence is a financial genius."Lewis Marks KC "Ayesha Vardag - the Queen of divorce"Daily Mail "Vardags brilliantly argued my case to a resounding victory"Pauline Chai (client) "Britain's top divorce lawyer" ![The Telegraph](https://vardags.com/images/logo/telegraph.png) More Family Law news -------------------- [Security v Stability: leave to remove and financial provision in G v S [2017] EWHC 365 (Fam)](https://vardags.com/family-law/leave-to-remove-and-financial-provision-g-v-s "Security v Stability: leave to remove and financial provision in G v S 2017 EWHC 365 (Fam)") [Court supports medical treatment for child without the consent of Jehovah's Witness parents](https://vardags.com/family-law/court-supports-treatment-without-consent-jehovahs-witness-parents "Court supports medical treatment for child without the consent of Jehovah's Witness parents") [Heterosexual couple lose Court of Appeal battle to enter into civil partnership](https://vardags.com/family-law/civil-partnership-challenge "Heterosexual couple lose Court of Appeal battle to enter into civil partnership") [Supreme Court grants survivors' pension to unmarried cohabitee](https://vardags.com/family-law/supreme-court-grants-survivors-pension-cohabitee "Supreme Court grants survivors pension to unmarried cohabitee") [Court of Appeal rejects husband's challenge to the validity of his Syrian marriage](https://vardags.com/family-law/court-appeal-husband-challenge-validity-syrian-marriage "Court of Appeal rejects husbands challenge to the validity of his Syrian marriage") Articles by Thea Dunne ---------------------- [New bills threaten no-fault divorce and common-law marriage in Oklahoma](https://vardags.com/family-law/incompatibility-bill-oklahoma "New bills threaten no-fault divorce and common-law marriage in Oklahoma") [John Oxley discusses heterosexual civil partnerships judgment on Radio LBC](https://vardags.com/posts/john-oxley-lbc-radio "John Oxley discusses heterosexual civil partnerships judgment on Radio LBC") [Heterosexual couple lose Court of Appeal battle to enter into civil partnership](https://vardags.com/family-law/civil-partnership-challenge "Heterosexual couple lose Court of Appeal battle to enter into civil partnership") [Widespread media coverage as specialist divorce lawyer Ayesha Vardag calls for no-fault divorce](https://vardags.com/posts/ayesha-vardag-no-fault-divorce "Widespread media coverage as specialist divorce lawyer Ayesha Vardag calls for no-fault divorce") [Emma Gill champions no-fault divorce as guest star on BBC Radio 2](https://vardags.com/posts/emma-gill-bbc-radio-2 "Emma Gill champions no-fault divorce as guest star on BBC Radio 2")