Civil union in New Zealand

Part of the LGBTQ rights series
Marriage

Recognized

Civil unions or registered partnerships but not marriage
Minimal recognition
See also
Notes
  1. ^ a b Performed in the Netherlands proper (including the Caribbean Netherlands), as well as in Aruba and Curaçao. May be registered in Sint Maarten in such cases, but the rights of marriage are not guaranteed.
  2. ^ Neither performed nor recognized in Niue, Tokelau, or the Cook Islands.
  3. ^ Neither performed nor recognized in six British Overseas Territories.
  4. ^ a b Neither performed nor recognized in some tribal nations of the US. Recognized but not performed in several other tribal nations and American Samoa.
  5. ^ Registered foreign marriages confer all marriage rights in Israel. Domestic common-law marriages confer most rights of marriage. Domestic civil marriage recognized by some cities.
  6. ^ a b c d e The Coman v. Romania ruling of the European Court of Justice obliges the state to provide residency rights for the foreign spouses of EU citizens. Some member states, including Romania, do not follow the ruling.
  7. ^ A "declaration of family relationship" is available in several of Cambodia's communes which may be useful in matters such as housing, but is not legally binding.
  8. ^ Guardianship agreements confer some limited legal benefits in China, including decisions about medical and personal care.
  9. ^ Hong Kong provides inheritance, guardianship rights, and residency rights for foreign spouses of legal residents.
  10. ^ Indian courts have recognised guru–shishya, nata pratha or maitri karar–type contractual relationships, but they are not legally binding.
  11. ^ Most Japanese cities and prefectures issue partnership certificates, but they are not legally binding.
  12. ^ Marriages conducted abroad between a Namibian national and a foreign spouse provide residency rights in Namibia.
  13. ^ Romania provides hospital visitation rights through a "legal representative" status.
  1. ^ Not yet in effect.
LGBTQ portal

Civil union has been legal in New Zealand since 26 April 2005. The Civil Union Act 2004 to establish the institution of civil union for same-sex and opposite-sex couples was passed by the Parliament on 9 December 2004.[1]

The act has been described as very similar to the Marriage Act 1955 with references to "marriage" replaced by "civil union". A companion bill, the Relationships (Statutory References) Act, was passed shortly thereafter on 15 March 2005, to remove discriminatory provisions on the basis of relationship status from a range of statutes and regulations. As a result of these bills, all couples in New Zealand, whether married, in a civil union, or in a de facto partnership, now generally enjoy the same rights and undertake the same obligations. These rights extend to immigration, next-of-kin status, social welfare, matrimonial property and other areas. Non-married couples are not, however, permitted to adopt children, although people in non-marital relationships can adopt as individuals.[2]

History

Both the Civil Union Bill and the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill were promoted as part of their Ministerial responsibilities by the Labour MPs and Ministers David Benson-Pope and Lianne Dalziel. The Civil Union Bill was treated as a conscience issue by most parties, including the largest parties on the left and right, and passed its third and final reading by 65 votes to 55.[3]

Civil Union Bill – Third Reading[3]
Party Votes for Votes against
Labour
45
6
National
3
24
NZ First
1
12
ACT
5
4
Green
9
 –
United Future –
8
Progressive
2
 –
Māori Party –
1
Totals 65 55

During consideration of the bill, various amendments were proposed. These included making the issue subject to a binding referendum, (a motion moved by New Zealand First MP Ron Mark who voted for the first two readings of the Bill, but against in its final vote). Another was to replace it with a "civil relationships" bill that would allow any two people to register any personal relationship and to gain joint property rights (moved by National MP Richard Worth, a consistent opponent of the bill). These proposals were dismissed by supporters of the bill as delaying tactics rather than serious proposals and were defeated in Parliament by a block vote of Labour, the Greens, and the Progressives.

The Relationships (Statutory References) Bill was also treated as a conscience vote and passed by 76 votes to 44 votes.[4]

Civil Unions came into effect on Tuesday 26 April 2005 for licence applications and at least two couples had applied for licenses by 9:30 that morning. The first civil union ceremonies were performed on Friday 29 April 2005 (marriage and civil union licences need to be applied for at least three working days before the ceremony).

Public opinion

Before passage, the New Zealand public supported the bill, with one opinion poll indicating around 56% in favour.[5] The bill was controversial in some quarters, attracting strong opposition from the evangelical Destiny Church and the Catholic Church in New Zealand. However, not all Christians in New Zealand were opposed to the bill. Christians for Civil Unions played a role in the debates[6] along with other Christian groups including the World Student Christian Federation.[7]

In the build up to the vote, there were several instances of anti-gay and lesbian protests and rallies as a way of dissuading public favour. The most publicised rally was the 'Enough is Enough' march through central Wellington, terminating at Parliament, in August 2004. The march was organised by the Brian Tamaki-led Destiny Church and involved thousands of church members and supporters, many wearing black shirts, marching down Lambton Quay punching the air with their fists and chanting 'enough is enough'. Also present on this march were members of the Christian Heritage Party and white supremacist group National Front. Victoria University of Wellington's UniQ and other queer groups held a counter-rally in response, and were joined by transgender Member of Parliament Georgina Beyer.[8][9]

Other protest action saw a theology student cover the windows of David Benson-Pope's South Dunedin electoral office with posters denouncing the bill. These bore the message 'Civil Unions Is (sic) Not Gay Marriage. Yeah Right' in a parody of Tui beer advertisements. Three months after the Civil Union Act came into effect, a Herald-DigiPoll survey revealed that a plurality of people who expressed an opinion either way were happy with the legislation. When asked "whether they were happy or unhappy with the way the law allowing civil unions is working," 46% said they were happy, 35.7% were unhappy, and 18.1% were undecided or refused to comment.[10]

Numbers

A civil union ceremony in Wellington, late 2006.

As at 31 December 2012, 2455 civil unions were registered to New Zealand residents. These comprised 1920 same-sex unions, of which 1131 had been between females and 789 had been between males, and 535 opposite-sex unions. In addition, 474 civil unions were registered to overseas residents. 124 civil unions had been dissolved.[11][12]

Civil unions of New Zealand residents in New Zealand, 2005-12[12]
Year Same-sex civil unions Opposite-sex
civil unions		 Total civil unions
Female couples Male couples
2005 105 98 46 249
2006 182 115 77 374
2007 150 103 63 316
2008 145 111 71 327
2009 147 97 68 312
2010 127 73 73 273
2011 133 99 69 301
2012 142 93 68 303

Forced civil unions

See also: Forced marriage in New Zealand

In 2012, National Party MP Jackie Blue submitted a member's bill, the Marriage (Court Consent to Marriage of Minors) Amendment Bill, to address the problem of forced marriages of 16 and 17-year-olds. There are about 80 applications per year for marriages between 16- and 17-year-olds.[13] The bill was picked up by fellow National MP Jo Hayes after Blue left Parliament, and was drawn from the ballot on 13 April 2017.

The bill required 16 and 17-year-olds who wish to marry to apply to the Family Court for the consent of a Family Court Judge, in place of consent from a parent or guardian, and set out how the court is to consider the application. At the Select Committee stage, the bill was broadened to cover civil unions and de facto relationships in addition to marriages, and was retitled the Minors (Court Consent to Relationships) Legislation Bill. The bill passed its third reading on 8 August 2018, received Royal Assent on 13 August and came into force the following day.[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Civil Unions Bill passed". The New Zealand Herald. 9 December 2004. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  2. ^ Collins, Simon (20 August 2009). "Judge: Time to let gay couples adopt". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  3. ^ a b "Civil Unions Act". Archived from the original on 20 January 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  4. ^ "Relationships (Statutory References) Act". Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  5. ^ "Civil Union Bill: What the readers say". The New Zealand Herald. 4 October 2004. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  6. ^ "Christians support Civil Unions Bill". Scoop. 16 June 2004.
  7. ^ "Student Christian Movement submission on the Civil Union bill".[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ Cheng, Derek (24 August 2004). "Images: Views and Counter Views at Destiny Protest". Scoop. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  9. ^ ""Your hatred is totally intolerable!" - Georgina Beyer". YouTube. Te Karere TVNZ. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  10. ^ Berry, Ruth (1 July 2005). "Majority happy with civil union, prostitution laws". The New Zealand Herald.
  11. ^ "Marriages, Civil Unions, and Divorces: Year ended December 2012" (PDF). Statistics New Zealand. 3 May 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  12. ^ a b "Marriages, Civil Unions, and Divorces: Year ended December 2012 – tables". Statistics New Zealand. 3 May 2013. Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  13. ^ "DRAFT FOR CONSULTATION - Marriage (Court Consent to Marriage of Minors) Amendment Bill" (PDF). New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  14. ^ "Minors (Court Consent to Relationships) Legislation Bill - New Zealand Parliament".

Read other articles:

Dursey Island

Island off southwest coast of Ireland Dursey IslandNative name: Oileán BaoiDursey Island as seen from a hiking path on the mainlandDursey IslandGeographyLocationBeara PeninsulaCoordinates51°36′N 10°12′W / 51.600°N 10.200°W / 51.600; -10.200Area5.6 km2 (2.2 sq mi)Length6.5 km (4.04 mi)Width1.5 km (0.93 mi)Highest elevation252 m (827 ft)AdministrationIrelandProvinceMunsterCountyCorkDemographicsPopulation3 (2022)&...

 

Chiesanuova

Untuk commune di Italia, lihat Chiesanuova, Italia. Peta yang menunjukkan wilayah Chiesanuova Chiesanuova merupakan sebuah kotamadya kecil di San Marino. Kotamadya ini memiliki populasi 1.029 jiwa (2006) pada area seluas 5,46 km². Daerah ini membatasi kotamadya San Marino dan Fiorentino di San Marino dan kotamadya Sassolfeltrio, Verucchio dan San Leo di Italia. lbsMunisipalitas di San MarinoAcquaviva | Borgo Maggiore | Chiesanuova | Domagnano | Faetano...

 

Avraham Herzfeld

Avraham HerzfeldLahir21 June 1891Tempat lahirStavisht, Kekaisaran Rusia (sekarang Ukraina)Tahun aliyah1914Meninggal dunia30 Agustus 1973(1973-08-30) (umur 82)Knesset1, 2, 3, 4, 5Faksi yang diwakili di Knesset1949–1961Mapai Avraham Herzfeld (juga Harzfeld) (Ibrani: אברהם הרצפלד‎, 5 Juni 1891 – 30 Agustus 1973) adalah seorang penggiat Zionis dan politikus Israel. Biografi Avraham Herzfeld (lahir Postrelko) lahir di Stavisht, Kekaisaran Rusia (sekarang Ukr...

Josh Thompson (footballer)

English footballer For other people named Josh Thompson, see Josh Thompson. This article uses bare URLs, which are uninformative and vulnerable to link rot. Please consider converting them to full citations to ensure the article remains verifiable and maintains a consistent citation style. Several templates and tools are available to assist in formatting, such as reFill (documentation) and Citation bot (documentation). (August 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Josh Th...

 

Huron, California

City in California, United States City in California, United StatesHuron, CaliforniaCityCity of Huron SealLocation of Huron in Fresno County, California.HuronLocation in the United StatesShow map of CaliforniaHuronHuron (the United States)Show map of the United StatesCoordinates: 36°12′10″N 120°06′11″W / 36.20278°N 120.10306°W / 36.20278; -120.10306CountryUnited StatesStateCaliforniaCountyFresnoIncorporatedMay 3, 1951[1]Government • Mayo...

 

Jessie Belle Rittenhouse

American journalist Jessie Belle RittenhouseBorn(1869-12-08)December 8, 1869Mount Morris, New YorkDiedSeptember 28, 1948(1948-09-28) (aged 78)Grosse Pointe Park, MichiganNationalityAmericanEducationHon. Doctorate Rollins CollegeAlma materGenesee Wesleyan SeminaryOccupations Lecturer literary critic poet Years active1894–1948Known forPoetry anthologiesSpouse Clinton Scollard ​ ​(m. 1924; died 1932)​AwardsRobert Frost Medal (...

Sea of Azov

Sea on the south of Eastern Europe linked to the Black Sea Sea of AzovSea of Azov shoreline at Yalta, Donetsk OblastSea of AzovShow map of Black SeaSea of AzovShow map of EuropeSea of Azov, upper rightCoordinates46°N 37°E / 46°N 37°E / 46; 37TypeSeaPrimary inflowsDon and KubanBasin countriesRussia, UkraineMax. length360 km (220 mi)[1]Max. width180 km (110 mi)[1]Surface area39,000 km2 (15,000 sq mi)[1]&...

 

GPR176

Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens GPR176IdentifiersAliasesGPR176, HB-954, G protein-coupled receptor 176External IDsOMIM: 612183 MGI: 2685858 HomoloGene: 5226 GeneCards: GPR176 Gene location (Human)Chr.Chromosome 15 (human)[1]Band15q14-q15.1Start39,799,008 bp[1]End39,920,266 bp[1]Gene location (Mouse)Chr.Chromosome 2 (mouse)[2]Band2|2 E5Start118,107,591 bp[2]End118,203,900 bp[2]RNA expression patternBgeeHumanMouse (ortholog)To...

 

Anna Cyzon

Anna CyzonBornAnna Czyszczoń (1983-09-23) September 23, 1983 (age 40)Kraków, PolandOccupations Singer Lyricist Actress Years active2004–presentMusical careerMusical artistWebsiteannacyzon.com Anna Cyzon (born Anna Czyszczoń in Kraków, Poland), is a Polish-Canadian recording artist, actress, former Canadian MTV/etalk personality and co-host of the Todd Shapiro show on Sirius Satellite Radio. Career This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. P...

Troina

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Italian. (January 2024) Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the Italian article. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wiki...

 

SMP Negeri 185 Jakarta

Artikel ini tidak memiliki referensi atau sumber tepercaya sehingga isinya tidak bisa dipastikan. Tolong bantu perbaiki artikel ini dengan menambahkan referensi yang layak. Tulisan tanpa sumber dapat dipertanyakan dan dihapus sewaktu-waktu.Cari sumber: SMP Negeri 185 Jakarta – berita · surat kabar · buku · cendekiawan · JSTOR Sekolah Menengah Pertama Negeri 185 JakartaInformasiDidirikan1980JenisNegeriNomor Statistik Sekolah201016305148Nomor Pokok Sekol...

 

William Ansah Sessarakoo

Former slave and later public figure (c. 1736 – 1770) William Ansah SessarakooBornc. 1736AnomaboDiedc. 1770Occupation(s)Public figure, diplomat, slave traderKnown forTraveling to England as the Royal African William Ansah Sessarakoo (c. 1736 – 1770), a prominent 18th-century Fante royal and diplomat, best known for his enslavement in the West Indies and diplomatic mission to England. He was both prominent among the Fante people and influential among Europeans concerned with the trans...

M. Narasimham

Maidavolu Narasimham Gubernur Reserve Bank of India ke-13Masa jabatan2 Mei 1977 – 30 November 1977PendahuluK. R. PuriPenggantiI. G. Patel Informasi pribadiLahir3 Juni 1927Nellore,[1] Kepresidenan Madras, India BritaniaMeninggal20 April 2021 (umur 93)Hyderabad, IndiaKebangsaanIndiaSunting kotak info • L • B Maidavolu Narasimham (3 Juni 1927 – 20 April 2021) adalah gubernur Bank Reserve India ketiga belas dari 2 Mei 1977 sampai 30 November 1977.&...

 

Taigemu railway station

Railway station in Inner Mongolia, China This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Taigemu railway station – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Taigemu railway station is a station of Jingbao Railway in Inner Mongolia. See also List of stations on Jingbao...

 

Yamoussoukro

Capital of Côte d'Ivoire Place in Ivory CoastYamoussoukroCity, autonomous district, sub-prefecture and communeFrom top, left to right: Panoramic view of Yamoussoukro, the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, Yamoussoukro International Airport, Route de Abidjan, and the Hotel des Parlementaires. SealNickname: YakroMotto(s): Solidarité - Paix - DéveloppementSolidarity - Peace - DevelopmentYamoussoukroLocation within Côte d'IvoireCoordinates: 06°48′58″N 05°16′27″W / &#x...

Badi Ade

Somali Hawiye clan Badi Ade Hawiye Somali clanEthnicitySomaliLocationSomalia EthiopiaParent tribeHawiyeBranchesAfgaab, Xaamud, Caryahan, Subeer, Ibraahim, Ilaabe, Maamiye, Samaroob, QuurwaayleLanguageSomaliArabicReligionSunni Islam Overview Badi Ade (also spelled Baadicade or Badi Ado) is a Somali Hawiye clan. Sometimes called Beesha Baadicade, the clan is a sub-tribe of the Gungundhabe Hawiye branch of the Somalis tribe[1] [2] [3] Baadicadde members live in the Hiiraa...

 

Korso railway station

Railway station in Vantaa, Finland Not to be confused with Korsør railway station. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Korso railway station – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) You can help expand this article with text transla...

 

Самоедская собака

Самоедская собака Другое название самоедский шпиц Краткое название самоед, самми Происхождение Место Сибирь и север России Время начало XX века Характеристики Рост кобели57 ± 3 см суки53 ± 3 см Масса кобели25— 30 кг суки17— 25 кг Шерсть двойная, дикого типа Окрас белый, кремо�...

TUI

För det tidigare Fritidsresor, se TUI Sverige. För andra betydelser, se Tui. TUI:s koncernhuvudkontor i Hannover. Thomsonfly Boeing 757. TUI eller TUI Group är en turismkoncern där moderbolaget TUI AG har sitt säte i Hannover i Tyskland. TUI Group verkar inom två affärsområden: Tourism Business och Specialist Travel. TUI Group har 30 miljoner kunder per år och 76 000 anställda och flyger från 25 länder.[1] TUI Sverige, TUI Nordic, Finnmatkat i Finland och Marmara i ...

 

Pierre Roussel (field hockey)

French hockey player Pierre RousselPierre Roussel in 2013Personal informationNationalityFrenchBorn (1949-08-16) 16 August 1949 (age 75)SportSportField hockey Pierre Roussel (born 16 August 1949) is a French field hockey player. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1972 Summer Olympics.[1] References ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. Pierre Roussel Olympic Results. Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from...