Latvian parliament rejects Civil Union Law; work on 13th Saeima’s initiative to stop

On Thursday, the 15th of December, the 14th Saeima decided to discontinue the Civil Union legislative draft left from the 13th Saeima. This legislative initiative suggested a new option for legal registration of cohabitation of two adult persons.
The legislative draft also provided recognition and legal protection for same-sex couples.
With the 13th Saeima unable to pass the Civil Union Law, the Dzīvesbiedri [Spouses] movement decided on the 27th of October to submit to the Saeima the initiative On Legal Protection of All Families, which previously received more than 23 000 signatures from Latvian residents on Manabalss.lv public initiatives portal.
As previously informed by the movement’s representative Zane Jēkabsone, the verdict of the Supreme Court presented the legislator with a task – ensure legal, economic and social protection for all families, including couples living together outside of wedlock.

Since the 13th Saeima failed to pass the law in the third reading, same-sex couples decided to ask courts of law for recognition of their family status. Multiple of them are already recognised.

The leader of the movement Kaspars Zālītis previously said that the 13th Saeima blatantly ignored two verdicts of the Supreme Court in regards to protection of all families. The failure to adopt regulations for the protection of couples living together outside of wedlock shows that the legislator openly disrespects and does not fully understand Latvia’s Constitution, the organisation claims.
The aforementioned legislative initiative was intended to provide couples the option to register their status through notarial procedure, which would regulate personal and property relations of spouses, as well as to determine the cases, in which there is an actual spouses’ union, protecting their right to a family life.
The movement also suggests providing couples the option to register their relationship in using services of a sworn notary or using digiNotārs remote service.
Also read: Latvian parliament once again rejects initiative for legal protection of all families