The Czech Republic grants unregistered cohabitation status to "persons living in a common household" that gives couples inheritance and succession rights in housing, and also offers registered partnerships (registrované partnerství) for same-sex couples. Registered partnerships grant several rights of marriage, including, inheritance, hospital, spousal privilege, and alimony rights, but do not allow adoption, widow's pension, or joint property rights. The registered partnership law was passed in March 2006 and went into effect on July 1, 2006. [1]
An amendment to grant greater rights to registered partners was passed in June 2008, making registered partners closer to married couples.[2]
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History
There had been several attempts to allow same-sex civil partnerships. In 1998, a registered partnership bill reached the chamber, but failed by two votes.[3] In 1999, the chamber voted against another bill.[4] Third bill was defeated in 2001.[5]
On 11 February 2005, another bill failed by one vote. It was backed by 82 out of the 165 deputies present - most voting Social Democrats, Communists, the Freedom Union members and some deputies for the opposition Civic Democratic Party (ODS).
In April 2005, a new partnership bill passed its first reading in the chamber with 82 votes for and 9 against. On 16 December 2005, it passed its third reading with 86 votes for, 54 against, and 7 MPs not voting. On 26 January 2006, it was passed by the Senate (65 for, 14 against).
On February 16, 2006, President Václav Klaus vetoed the bill. In response, the Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek said that he would seek a parliamentary majority (101 votes) in the lower chamber to override the veto and did so successfully on March 15, 2006 with the exact number of votes needed (101) out of 177 votes cast. The bill became one of topics where political parties tried to position themselves before the June election. Opinion polls suggest that over 60 percent of Czechs support same-sex marriage or civil unions.
Demographics
By June 30, 2009, 780 registered partnerships had been concluded in the Czech Republic. 18 had been annulled. In 2007, 253 couples entered into a registered partnership, while in 2008, 221 couples entered into one.[6]
See also
- LGBT rights in the Czech Republic
- Civil union
- Registered partnership
- Same-sex marriage in the European Union
References
- ^ The Prague Post Online: News: Nearly weds
- ^ Czech Republic: 2 anti-gay rallies banned, Czech amendment to registered partnership law takes effect
- ^ http://www.france.qrd.org/assocs/ilga/euroletter/60.html
- ^ http://www.france.qrd.org/assocs/ilga/euroletter/76.html
- ^ http://books.google.pl/books?id=XMAPR-bBwxUC&pg=PA159&lpg=PA159&dq=Czech+republic+registered+partnership+bill+2001&source=bl&ots=JzHv8PTfOo&sig=irMpge3zLTwHcQVCU2cB0Pdydaw&hl=pl&ei=KTVqSvSOLYP1_Ab-1I2fCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3
- ^ Same sex couples' interest in registered partnership drops
External links
- Gay partnership law likely
- Czech Republic, Austria Move To Legalize Gay Unions
- Bill passes Senate
- Czech President Vetoes Gay Partner Bill
- Czech Parliament Overrides Veto, Passes Gay Partner Law
- Czech MPs approve gay rights law
- Same-sex registered partnerships to be introduced after deputies override presidential veto
- First homosexual couples strike registered partnership
- 582 same-sex couples registered partnerships within 2 years
- 712 same-sex couples registered partnerships within 2,5 years
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