Family law

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on family law. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

Date	Description
14.05.2013	Humanist marriage ceremonies
	At present, humanist weddings do not have legal force and the parties must have an additional ceremony (for example, at a register office) for the marriage to be legally valid. The British Humanist Association is campaigning for the law to be changed to allow humanist celebrants to conduct legal marriages.
08.01.2013	Confidentiality and openness in the family courts
	This note provides information on the new rules which enable duly accredited media representatives (but not the wider public) to attend certain family proceedings held in private, subject to a power for the court to direct their exclusion. It also deals with the rules governing communication of information and statutory reporting restrictions for family proceedings.
19.12.2012	Civil partnerships on religious premises
	The Civil Partnership Act 2004 created a legal union which is very similar, but not fully identical, to marriage. Civil partners have the same rights and responsibilities as married couples in many areas. A legally valid marriage can currently be entered into only by a male and a female, whereas a civil partnership is available only to same-sex couples.
19.07.2012	Polygamy
	This note deals with the recognition of polygamous marriages; immigration issues; social security benefits and pension entitlement.
02.05.2012	Viral 'Breadwinner' hoax email alleging abuse of fostering allowances
	A number of MPs have contacted the Library concerning an e-mail that constituents have forwarded alleging abuse of the fostering system in order to benefit from the allowances available. The e-mail in question is not based in fact, and is a hoax. This short note explains the many errors in the 'Breadwinner' email, and notes that an almost identical US version is also in circulation, which seems to be the source of the version discussed in this note.

Research Papers

Date	Description
31.05.2013	Children and Families Bill Committee Stage Report
	The Children and Families Bill introduces a wide range of legislation concerning adoption and children in care, aspects of family justice law, special educational needs, the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England, child care, statutory rights to leave and pay for parents and adopters, time off work for ante-natal care, and the right to request flexible working. This paper complements Research Paper 13/11 prepared for the Commons Second Reading.
15.02.2013	Children and Families Bill
	The Children and Families Bill introduces a wide range of legislation concerning adoption and children in care, aspects of family justice law, special educational needs, the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England, child care, statutory rights to leave and pay for parents and adopters, time off work for ante-natal care, and the right to request flexible working. This paper has been prepared for the Second Reading of the Bill.
01.02.2013	Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill
	The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill was introduced into the House of Commons on 24 January 2013 and is due to have its second reading debate on 5 February 2013. It would introduce civil marriage for same sex couples, and enable religious organisations to opt in to conduct same sex marriages if they wish to do so. The Bill includes provisions intended to protect religious organisations and individuals from being forced to conduct same sex marriages. The proposals have proved highly controversial with interested parties expressing strong opinions both for and against same sex marriage. The Bill would also enable civil partners to convert their partnership to a marriage and would enable married transsexual people to gain legal recognition in their acquired gender without having to end their marriage.
25.10.2012	Family Justice (Transparency, Accountability and Cost of Living) Bill
	The Bill has three parts. Part 1 deals with transparency and accountability in connection with cases concerning children and proceedings in the Court of Protection. Part 2 contains other provisions relating to the administration of justice; and Part 3 deals with the cost of living and measures to achieve lower fuel bills.
15.02.2010	Children, Schools and Families Bill: Committee Stage Report Bill No 8 of 2009-10
	This is an account of the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Children, Schools and Families Bill. The Bill contained a clause on the charitable status of academies, but the Government decided it could achieve its objectives by non-legislative means, and at the end of the Committee Stage the clause was removed. No other changes were made to the Bill in Committee. There were many amendments proposed by the opposition parties but none was successful.

Select Committee Reports

Date	Description
13.10.2011	The operation of the family courts.
	Government response. Ministry of Justice report [Commons]
28.06.2011	The operation of the family courts.
	Justice Select Committee report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

Date	Description
26.10.2010	GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN NETWORK
	That this House congratulates Grandparents Plus, the Grandparents' Association and members of the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Network on their successful lobby of Parliament ...
15.12.2009	CHILDREN AND FAMILY COURT ADVISORY SUPPORT SERVICE
	That this House believes that the fundamental principles of the Children Act should inform the approach and practice of Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (CAFCASS) ...
07.12.2009	RELOCATION CASES
	That this House believes that a child's relationship with its parents requires greater legislative protection with regard to the Family Court's current application of precedent in international ...
02.12.2009	FAMILY COURTS
	That this House notes that the Government has expressed a desire to increase accountability in the family courts; regrets that the Children, Schools and Families Bill as currently drafted ...
15.10.2009	RELOCATION CASES
	That this House believes that a child's relationship with its parents requires greater legislative protection with regard to the Family Court's current application of precedent in international ...

Lords Library Notes

Date	Description
28.06.2013	Children and Families Bill (HL Bill 32 of 2013-14)
	This Library Note provides information on the Children and Families Bill, which is due for second reading in the House of Lords on 2 July 2013. The Bill covers several areas, including: adoption and children in care; the family justice system; children and young people with special educational needs; the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England; rights to leave and pay for parents; the right to request flexible working; and early years education and child care.
30.05.2013	Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill (HL Bill 29 of 2013-14)
	The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill would extend civil marriage to include same-sex couples and allow those religious organisations who wished to do so to conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies. This Library Note provides background reading in advance of the Bill's second reading in the House of Lords on 3 June 2013.