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The rights of persons in relationships in the practice of the European Court of Human Rights

Court cases
Rights of persons in a relationship in the practice of the European Court of Human Rights.

Marriage is widely recognised as an institution that confers a certain status and special rights on those entering into it (see Burden v. the United Kingdom, § 63).

The protection of marriage is a kind of legitimate justification for the difference in treatment between married and unmarried couples (see Şerife Yiit v. Turkey, § 72).

States have a margin of appreciation in relation to the difference in treatment between married and unmarried couples, particularly in matters relating to social and fiscal policy, such as taxation, pensions and social security (see Burden v. the United Kingdom, § 65).