''It's a very efficient system, with people booking a slot in advance, and each ceremony taking a few minutes.''

Yves Padovani, chief clerk at the Marseilles Palais de Justice, remarking on one reason why heterosexual couples in France may be opting to join in Civil Solidarity Pacts (PaCS) instead of marriage. It is reported that only 10% of the 150,000 civil unions taking place are for same-sex couples. The PACS were adopted in 1999 and were originally designed to provide near identical protections for gay couples who cannot legally marry in that country including tax returns and deductions. (Telegraph UK)