Lisburn set for u-turn over gay weddings ban

By Benjamin Cohen • November 22, 2005 - 0:00

The council is expected to overturn the ban in a meeting tonight

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Lisburn City Council is due to make a u-turn over the banning of gay wedding ceremonies on council properties.

The council, in Northern Ireland has previously announced that it would not allow civil partnership ceremonies to take place in their wedding suite.

Local authorities are forced to offer civil partnership registrations under the Civil Partnership Act that comes into effect in December of this year. However, they are free to decide whether to offer facilities for ceremonies on their properties.

The policy had previously attracted protests from human rights groups and complaints were made to Stephen Malcolm, Lisburn's equality officer to alleging that the council failed to comply with their own equality scheme and the Northern Ireland Act (1998) which forces local authorities to promote equality of opportunity.

Following a consultation with legal advisors, the committee charged with considering policy on this area voted to recommend the council to lift the ban.

The full council is expected to overturn the ban in a meeting tonight.

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