Law Reference
Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013
Short answer
The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 extended marriage to same-sex couples in England and Wales.
- Status
- reviewed
- Reviewed
- 26 May 2026
- Sources
- 7
- High trust
- 7
Curated Routes
Appears in these journeys
Use a journey when this legal reference is part of a wider reform story.
Overview
The Act was the central marriage equality statute for England and Wales. It sits alongside separate legal changes in Scotland and Northern Ireland, which is why the wider marriage equality topic covers the whole UK in stages.
Key Dates
- enacted
- 17 July 2013
Extension of marriage
The Act made marriage of same-sex couples lawful in England and Wales, with associated provisions for interpretation, registration, overseas matters and related legal effects.
Part of staged UK reform
The Act did not by itself create UK-wide marriage equality; Scotland and Northern Ireland followed through separate legal routes.
Related Timeline Events
Celia Kitzinger and Sue Wilkinson’s Marriage in Canada
In 2003, Celia Kitzinger and Sue Wilkinson married in Canada, where same-sex marriage was legal. Their subsequent campaign to have the marriage recognised in the UK highlighted the stark discrepancies in legal recognition of same-sex relationships between countries.
Equal Marriage Legalised Across the UK
Marriage equality arrived across the UK through staged legal reform. The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 received Royal Assent for England and Wales, Scotland legislated through the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014, and Northern Ireland followed through 2019 regulations that took effect in January 2020.
Same-Sex Marriage Takes Effect in Great Britain
The first same-sex marriages in England and Wales took place on 29 March 2014 under the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013. Scotland's separate Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 then brought same-sex marriage into Scottish law later that year.
Same-Sex Marriage Becomes Legal in Northern Ireland
Civil same-sex marriage became lawful in Northern Ireland on 13 January 2020, after regulations made under section 8 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019 changed the law. The change followed years of campaigning and completed the legal route to civil marriage equality across the UK.
