Adultery is defined as being sexual relations between one party to the marriage and an outside party of the opposite sex. If the sexual relationship is with a member of the same sex or if the relationship is not sexual that is not adultery. The appropriate ground for divorce in such cases would be "unreasonable behaviour".
The Civil Partnership Act 2004 came into operation on 5 December 2005 and enables a same-sex couple to register as civil partners of each other. To register such a Civil Partnership both parties must be free to marry in the normal way ... i.e. they cannot already be married.
We the undersigned believe that in light of The Civil Partnership Act 2004 the laws concerning adultery should be ammended to read:
"Adultery is defined as being sexual relations between one party to the marriage and an outside party of either sex. If the sexual relationship is with a member of either sex it constitutes adultery."
I have been reading your stories about how these outdated definitions have complicated your own divorces. It is heartbreaking that the law still refuses to see these betrayals for what they really are. I am continuing to push for the legal recognition that so many families deserve.
November 20, 2007
Seeing this momentum grow confirms that so many of you see the same gap in our legal system that I do. It is heartbreaking to explain to someone in my own life that their pain does not fit into a tidy definition of adultery simply because of who they loved. We are finally forcing a conversation that has been ignored for far too long.
3 Comments
M
Mark Duncan
18 years ago
Featured
Totally outdated. Marriage is marriage. This distinction makes zero sense in this day and age.
D
Dave Fuentes
18 years ago
Featured
Fix this now. Why does it matter what gender the other person is? Betrayal hurts just the same.
S
Sarah Lloyd
19 years ago
Featured
Its pretty simple. Cheating is cheating no matter who it is with. The law needs to catch up.
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Adultery is defined as being sexual relations between one party to the marriage and an outside party of the opposite sex. If the sexual relationship is with a member of the same sex or if the relationship is not sexual that is not adultery. The appropriate ground for divorce in such cases would be "unreasonable behaviour".
The Civil Partnership Act 2004 came into operation on 5 December 2005 and enables a same-sex couple to register as civil partners of each other. To register such a Civil Partnership both parties must be free to marry in the normal way ... i.e. they cannot already be married.
We the undersigned believe that in light of The Civil Partnership Act 2004 the laws concerning adultery should be ammended to read:
"Adultery is defined as being sexual relations between one party to the marriage and an outside party of either sex. If the sexual relationship is with a member of either sex it constitutes adultery."
I have been reading your stories about how these outdated definitions have complicated your own divorces. It is heartbreaking that the law still refuses to see these betrayals for what they really are. I am continuing to push for the legal recognition that so many families deserve.
November 20, 2007
Seeing this momentum grow confirms that so many of you see the same gap in our legal system that I do. It is heartbreaking to explain to someone in my own life that their pain does not fit into a tidy definition of adultery simply because of who they loved. We are finally forcing a conversation that has been ignored for far too long.
3 Comments
M
Mark Duncan
18 years ago
Featured
Totally outdated. Marriage is marriage. This distinction makes zero sense in this day and age.
D
Dave Fuentes
18 years ago
Featured
Fix this now. Why does it matter what gender the other person is? Betrayal hurts just the same.
S
Sarah Lloyd
19 years ago
Featured
Its pretty simple. Cheating is cheating no matter who it is with. The law needs to catch up.
Totally outdated. Marriage is marriage. This distinction makes zero sense in this day and age.