Thanks to Judith Middleton for pointing out Resolution's new 'Living Together' campaign, in association with Lord Lester's Odysseus Trust, aimed at ending "the injustice and financial hardship faced by thousands of cohabiting couples, carers and siblings who live together". As part of the campaign, a Bill will be introduced in the Autumn to give rights to couples who live together. I'm not sure whether the purpose of this is actually to get the Bill passed into law, or simply to 'kick-start' the Government into acting on the Law Commission’s proposals for the introduction of legal protection for cohabitees (see this post). Either way, I fully support it - it's about time the law caught up with society and gave proper legal protection to cohabitees.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Living Together Campaign
Thanks to Judith Middleton for pointing out Resolution's new 'Living Together' campaign, in association with Lord Lester's Odysseus Trust, aimed at ending "the injustice and financial hardship faced by thousands of cohabiting couples, carers and siblings who live together". As part of the campaign, a Bill will be introduced in the Autumn to give rights to couples who live together. I'm not sure whether the purpose of this is actually to get the Bill passed into law, or simply to 'kick-start' the Government into acting on the Law Commission’s proposals for the introduction of legal protection for cohabitees (see this post). Either way, I fully support it - it's about time the law caught up with society and gave proper legal protection to cohabitees.
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"about time the law caught up with society and gave proper legal protection to cohabitees."
ReplyDeleteErm why? There is nothing holding anyone back from gaining such rights now: get married.
That's what marriage is, a contract delineating and granting certain rights. Why on earth shouldn't people be allowed to share a house and shag each other without such a contract being forced upon them?
Oh dear, that's a very reactionary attitude. Do you think it is right, for example, for a woman to live with a man in his home for twenty years, giving up work to bring up a family, to then be left with nothing when the relationship ends?
ReplyDeleteI agree it isn't acceptable for those who chose not to marry to be left unprotected.
ReplyDeleteOne of the key aspects of introducing rights for cohabitants in relation to money and property here in Scotland was the intention not to create a new legal status and to balance the rights of adults to live unrestricted by financial obligations towards partners against the need to protect the vulnerable.
Yes, it is a difficult balancing act, if you choose not to give all cohabitees the same rights.
ReplyDelete"Do you think it is right, for example, for a woman to live with a man in his home for twenty years, giving up work to bring up a family, to then be left with nothing when the relationship ends?"
ReplyDeleteIf that's the contractual relationship they choose then yes. Who are you (or anyone else) to deny them the freedom to act as they see fit?
But what if they don't have an explicit 'contractual relationship', as with the vast majority of couples who live together?
ReplyDelete