Paragraph 18

England and Wales

(1)

Amend section 85 (extended discretion of court in certain proceedings for possession) as follows.

(2)

In subsection (5)—

(a)

in paragraph (a) for “tenant’s spouse or former spouse, having matrimonial home rights” substitute “ tenant’s spouse or former spouse, or civil partner or former civil partner, having home rights ”,

(b)

after “the spouse or former spouse” insert “ , or the civil partner or former civil partner, ”, and

(c)

for “those matrimonial home rights” substitute “ those home rights ”.

(3)

In subsection (5A)—

(a)

in paragraph (a), for “former spouse of the tenant” substitute “ former spouse or former civil partner of the tenant ”, and

(b)

in paragraph (b) and in the words following paragraph (c) after “former spouse,” insert “ former civil partner, ”.