To annul or not to annul…?

The newspapers reported last week that MPs are considering whether to remove the requirement for a marriage to be consummated.

Currently, in certain circumstances where a marriage has not been consummated, a party can apply to the Court to have the marriage annulled (by way of a nullity petition). 

There is no equivalent requirement for civil partnerships (and therefore a civil partnership cannot be annulled on the basis of non-consummation), which fuels the debate over whether marriage and civil partnerships can be considered to be on an equal footing.