Civil unions become law

The island’s controversial civil unions bill passed the House after a heated and protracted debate that caused rifts within political parties. Same-sex as well as straight couples can now get legal recognition outside the institutions of marriage and religion.

The bill got a majority 39 votes in favour, 12 against, and 3 abstentions.

The joint House committees of Interior and Legal Affairs took months to finalise the bill in a bid to reconcile the legal right of those who choose civil unions on one hand and social reluctance or opposition regarding child adoption and gay marriage on the other.

The bill also scrapped the older term ‘civil partnership’ in favour of the more widely-used ‘civil unions’ to better reflect the fact that two people entering into a civil union would be subject to legislation and not contractual agreements between two individuals.

The bill would allow two people who are partners in life to get legal recognition for their relationship outside the institutions of marriage and religion. This would apply to both same-sex as well as straight couples.