Jersey Partnership Law Costs Estimated To Top £300,000

September 07, 2009

Senator Ozouf, the Jersey, deputy chief minister, estimated that the cost of amending the current partnerships law could cost £300,000 if not more.

The Jersey states are currently under way deciding on whether same sex relationships will be granted the same rights as heterosexual couples under one new law.

If the new law is ratified, the potential cost of amending the laws as well as the laws it has an impact on, could potentially run quite high, a small price to pay for equality.

Senator Ozouf, in an interview with the BBC said: "I think we have to accept that we are a small jurisdiction, there is a cost associated with this, there is a lot of law drafting and it is not a simple law that can just be passed by the States.

"There are all sorts of other statutes that will be affected by this - income tax law, health laws etc.

"There is a one off cost of perhaps £200,000 - £300,000 and we have to accept that there is an on-going cost for the States in allowing same-sex couples to have these rights."