A new Tasmanian law recognising civil partnerships and same-sex marriages from other places comes into effect today.
An amendment to the Relationships Act, passed in September last year, allows the Tasmanian Government to automatically recognise interstate civil partnerships and overseas civil partnerships and same-sex marriages after each scheme has been through an assessment process.
From today, civil partnerships from Victoria, NSW, the ACT, New Zealand and the UK will be automatically recognised in Tasmania, along with civil partnerships and same-sex marriages from all thirteen Canadian provinces.
Partnerships and marriages from other jurisdictions are currently being assessed.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said the move will ease the burden on partners in interstate and overseas unions who relocate to Tasmania.
“Partners moving to Tasmania will no longer have to re-register their relationship and will have their legal relationship and solemn vows acknowledged by Tasmanian law”, Mr Croome said.
“This recognition sets an important precedent for the rest of the nation because it shows that acknowledging same-sex marriages won’t make the sky to fall in.”
Under the new law, interstate unions and overseas marriages will automatically be recognised as Tasmanian Deeds of Relationship giving partners in these relationships the same rights and responsibilities as married partners in state and federal law.
Tasmanian Deeds of Relationship have been recognised as civil partnerships in New Zealand and the UK for several years, benefitting immigrant and emigrant couples alike.
No other Australian state or territory recognises overseas civil partnerships or same-sex marriages. The ACT and NSW recognise partnerships from other Australian states and territories.
The Australian Federal Government does not recognise overseas civil partnerships or same-sex marriages, and is firmly against allowing same-sex marriages in Australia.
Today is the tenth anniversary of the the world’s first same-sex marriages in the Netherlands.
