Commentary on provisions of Act Section 2: Extension of civil partnership
Section 2(1) enables the Secretary of State, by regulations, to amend the Civil Partnership Act 2004 so that two people who are not of the same sex are able to form a civil partnership, as long as they are not ineligible under the Civil Partnership Act 2004 for other reasons (for example, because they fall within prohibited degrees of relationship).
	Section 2(2) requires the Secretary of State to exercise the power in subsection (1) so that regulations extending eligibility to opposite-sex couples are in force no later than 31st December 2019.
	Section 2(3) enables the Secretary of State to make other provision by regulations if this is appropriate in view of the extension of eligibility. The current civil partnership regime is bespoke to same-sex couples. Subsection (3) enables the Secretary of State to ensure that a coherent scheme can be introduced for opposite-sex couples.
	Section 2(4) sets out areas in which regulations made under subsection (3) may make particular provision. These include provision relating to:
	Parenthood and parental responsibility.
	Gender recognition
	Financial consequences of civil partnership
	The recognition of similar overseas civil partnerships in England and Wales.
	Section 2(5) enables the Secretary of State to make regulations relating to conversion of marriage into civil partnership and vice versa. Same-sex couples are permitted to convert their civil partnerships into marriage by virtue of section 9 of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 but currently there is no right to convert a marriage into a civil partnership. Regulations made under section 2(5) may also restrict current or newly created conversion rights or bring them to an end.
	Section 2(6) requires the Secretary of State to consult before making any regulations on conversion.
	Section 2(7) gives a power to protect the ability to act in accordance with religious belief in relation to matters provided for in regulations made under other parts of this section. This enables appropriate provision to be made to ensure religious freedoms continue to be protected in relation to the new civil partnership regime. By way of example, this power could be used to ensure religious organisations are free to decide whether to host an opposite-sex civil partnership on religious premises.
	Section 2(8) ensures that regulations will be able to amend, repeal or revoke primary legislation as defined by subsection (9)(b).