Heterosexual couple lose High Court bid for civil partnership

A heterosexual couple who want to enter into a civil partnership rather than marry have lost a challenge at the High Court.

Rebecca Steinfeld, 34 and Charles Keidan, 39, had argued that they are being discriminated against.

The couple, both academics from Hammersmith, west London, want to legally cement their four-year relationship but object to marriage as a patriarchal structure.

They want instead to get a civil partnership, which is currently only offered to same-sex couples.

The couple, who have an eight-month old baby together, had argued that the bar is "incompatible with equality law".

Mrs Justice Andrews, sitting in London, dismissed their judicial review action on Friday.

The judge sided with the government, which has called for a wait-and-see period following the legalization of gay marriage before it decides what to do about civil partnerships.

The state says they could be phased out altogether within a few years.

The judge did give the couple permission to take their case on to the Court of Appeal because the case raised issues of "wider importance".

Speaking after the ruling, Dr Steinfeld said they had brought the case not just for themselves but for thousands of others who wish to partner rather than marry.

She said: "We don't think there is sufficient justification for stopping us or other opposite-sex couples from forming civil partnerships.

"Unfortunately, the judge has concluded otherwise."

Mr Keidan called for Parliament to take action in the wake of the legal ruling to open up civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples.