London: A heterosexual couple who campaigned for mixed-sex civil partnerships have become one of the first couples to tie the knot in a ceremony today after winning a Supreme Court case to change the law.
This morning Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan registered their 'more modern' partnership at Kensington and Chelsea Register.
They were pictured outside the building looking loved up as their two children stood by their side.
The change in the law will allow couples up and down the country to enter into civil partnerships rather than a marriage following a Supreme Court legal victory last year, reports the Daily Mail.
They won a legal battle in 2018 for the right to heterosexual civil partnerships, paving the way for today's change in the law. The couple took their fight to the Supreme Court, the highest court in Britain, forcing the law change.
Steinfeld told journalists it was their personal wish to form a civil partnership which came from a personal desire to formalise their relationship in a more modern way, with a focus in equality and mutual respect. She said it creates new, modern possibilities for thousands of people to express their love and commitment and ends the unrivaled position of marriage.
The change means couples will be able to access the same tax benefits, pensions and inheritances as those available to married couples.
The government said thousands of civil ceremonies were taking place across England and Wales Tuesday as the new rules came into operation.
A spokesperson for the Government Equalities Office said: "Civil partnerships are not intended to compete with marriage but rather to provide an alternative option for those couples who do not wish to marry but want legal certainty and stability for their families."
