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Same-sex marriage has been legal inAkrotiri and Dhekelia since 3 June 2014. AnOrder in Council to legalise same-sex marriages was approved by thePrivy Council of the United Kingdom on 28 April 2014 and came into effect on 3 June. However, this only applies if one of the parties to themarriage is a member of theBritish Armed Forces. The order does not apply to the local civil population residing in Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Military personnel have also been able to enter intocivil partnerships since 2005.
TheBritish Overseas Territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia was established in 1960 by theLondon and Zürich Agreements whenBritish Cyprus was granted independence from theBritish Empire. TheUnited Kingdom sought to retain sovereignty over the areas ofAkrotiri andDhekelia as this guaranteed the use of UK military bases on theisland of Cyprus. The bases are at a strategic location, being at the eastern edge of theMediterranean Sea and close to theMiddle East and theSuez Canal.[1]
When theRepublic of Cyprus became independent in 1960, the United Kingdom declared that the laws applicable to the Cypriot population of the Akrotiri and Dhekelia would be as far as possible the same as the laws of Cyprus. Some laws of the Republic, primarily those relating toagriculture andtaxes, are adopted as made by the Republic. Adopted laws form part of the law of the territory without the need for new legislation to be made when the law of Cyprus changes. Some laws of the United Kingdom are also directly applicable to Akrotiri and Dhekelia or have been extended by anOrder in Council. These laws mainly concern external relations.[2] The Administrator of Akrotiri and Dhekelia has also the power, by reason of theSovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council, 1960, to make laws for the territory; primary legislation known as "ordinances" and secondary legislation known as "public instruments".[2]
On 17 July 2013, Her Majesty QueenElizabeth II grantedroyal assent to theMarriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 which legalisedsame-sex marriage inEngland and Wales.[3] Sections of the Act permitting same-sex marriages to be solemnised went into effect on 13 March 2014, with the first same-sex marriage ceremonies inEngland occurring on 29 March 2014.[4]
On 28 April 2014, thePrivy Council of the United Kingdom enacted theOverseas Marriage (Armed Forces) Order 2014,[a] which took effect on 3 June 2014. The order permits same-sex marriages to be conducted at allBritish Army bases, including the bases in Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The intending spouses must provide an advance notice of marriage to theircommanding officer, who will then issue a certificate permitting the marriage to be solemnised if the parties meet all the requirements to marry. One of the parties must be a member of theBritish Armed Forces, or be a person who performs "administrative, executive, judicial, clerical, typing, duplicating, machine operating, paper keeping, managerial, professional, scientific, experimental, technical, industrial or labouring functions" for the Armed Forces. The first same-sex couple to marry in the territory were Sergeant Alastair Smith, a member of the 2nd Battalion of thePrincess of Wales's Royal Regiment, and Aaron Weston who married in Dhekelia on 10 September 2016. The marriage ceremony was conducted by Air Vice-MarshalMichael Wigston.[5][6]
The marriage of a same-sex couple may also be solemnised according to the rites of a religious denomination, with the exception of theChurch of England and theChurch in Wales.[7][8] TheUnited Reformed Church has allowed itscongregations to perform same-sex marriages since 2016,[9] and has a reverend stationed in Dhekelia.[10] The Church of England and the Church in Wales allow their clergy tobless—but not perform—same-sex marriages.[11][12][13] Same-sex couples may also enter into acivil partnership under theCivil Partnership (Armed Forces) Order 2005, which came into effect on 7 December 2005. Similarly to amarriage, the intending civil partners must provide a notice of proposed civil partnership to a registering officer, and one of the partners must be a member of the Armed Forces or subject to service discipline serving in the territory.[14]
However, both orders do not apply to the local civil population residing in the territory. Cyprus does not recognise same-sex marriage but has offered same-sex couples several of the rights and benefits of marriage in the form ofcivil cohabitations since December 2015.[15]
