They are normally seen as membranes that cover important organs but the study of bacterial capsule polysaccharides is one that is being conducted by the medical community to determine the role this has in disease. Bacterial infection is something that kills millions of people each year.
The Government's Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill received Royal Assent on 17th July 2013, having been passed by both Houses of Parliament. The Bill followed a Government consultation in 2012.
The public national discussion around same-sex marriage first began in 1993 when the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that laws denying same-sex couples the right to marry violated state constitutional equal protection rights unless the state could show a compelling reason for such discrimination.