A Jewish couple have lost their bid to make civil partnerships legal for heterosexual partners.

Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan launched a judicial review in December 2013 after rejecting traditional marriage, believing it to be sexist, and applying to register their union in a civil ceremony.

But judges at the Court of Appeal today ruled heterosexual couples will not be allowed to enter into civil partnerships.

The judges agreed the couple were being treated differently because of their sexual orientation, and acknowledged the impact on their private and family life.

Two of the judges said the government should be allowed more time to make a decision on whether to extend civil partnerships to mixed-sex couples.

Lady Justice Arden said her overall conclusion was that “the appellants are right”.

Speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice where the ruling was handed down, Ms Steinfeld said: “We are pleased that today’s ruling has shown that the government must act very soon to end this unfair situation.

“All three judges agreed that we’re being treated differently because of our sexual orientation, and that this impacts our private and family life. All three rejected the argument that we could ‘just get married’.

“All three emphasised that the government cannot maintain the status quo for much longer – they are on borrowed time.

“We lost on a technicality - that the government should be allowed a little more time to make a decision. So there’s everything to fight for, and much in the ruling that gives us reason to be positive and keep going.”

Mr Keidan said: “The Court of Appeal has made it clear the status quo cannot continue. The government should now recognize the benefits of opening civil partnerships to mixed-sex couples.

“The measure is fair, popular, good for families and children, and long overdue. They have everything to gain.”

The decision follows a three-year legal campaign by the couple who do not believe in traditional marriage on the grounds that it is a “sexist” and “patriarchal”.

They argued heterosexual couples should be afforded the same choice as same-sex couples – giving them the option of entering into a civil partnership.