Northern Ireland, Europe

Northern Ireland is governed by the UK. Homosexual activities were legalized by section 80 of the UK Criminal Justice Act 1980 which came into force on 1 February 1981. This was also made the law of Northern Ireland, following the determination of a case by the European Court of Human Rights. On 1 May 2004 the Sexual Offences Act 2003 entered into force. It swept away all of the previous sex-specific legislation, including the 1967 Act, and introduced instead neutral offenses. Thus the previous conditions relating to privacy were removed, and sexual acts were viewed by the law without regard to the sex of the participants. Parliament then went on to legislate for civil partnerships for same-sex couples on 18 November 2004 with the passage of the Civil Partnership Act. Such partnerships were civil unions, granting to the parties the same rights as a marriage. The first civil partnership ceremonies after the statutory waiting period then took place in Northern Ireland on 19 December, with ceremonies following the next day in Scotland and the day after that in England and Wales. Laws against incitement to hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation is illegal in Northern Ireland.