Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Couples in the Countries of the World: a Chronological Overview

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Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Couples in the Countries of the World: a Chronological Overview

Waaldijk, C.; Marsh V.

Citation

Waaldijk, C. (2011). Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Couples in the Countries of the World: a Chronological Overview. In Speak Now.

Australian Perspectives on Same-Sex Marriage (pp. 249-255). Melbourne: Clouds of Magellan. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/1887/33501

Version: Not Applicable (or Unknown)

License: Leiden University Non-exclusive license Downloaded from: https://hdl.handle.net/1887/33501

Note: To cite this publication please use the final published version (if applicable).

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AUSTRALIAN PERSPECTIVES 0!\1 SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

PhD

.A

THE HON. M!CHAEL K!RBY CI\:1G

Clouds

DIX

T'his overvieYv ii.srs rh~~ countries major steps towards legally rnilestonc.s have been selected for

parts of Canada,

IN

and outside

into Ple;1sc note !hat different

have introduced different f(mns of s·on1c

variotlS 11arncs.

t\"'() senses.

Firstly, the countries are listed

rbc order in w\,ich or

in which have inrrodtll.Td " form of

Secondly, r-he overview shows that there appears tu be a more or less standard sequence vvhich counrrics go about

No country in same-sex

coh2bira::ion. In no

un-;.

introducrion of <1 f()rrn nf

c·~_HUlLry in the \Vorld up

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please note that Belgium opened up adoption three years later). And marriage has only been opened up to same-sex couples in countries that had already started to recognise cohabiting and/or registered same-sex partners.

The information in this overview is largely based on the following two publications, the second of which refers to actual sources and to other relevant literature:

Eddie Bruce-Jones & Lucas Paoli Itaborahy, State-sponsored Homophobia. A world survey of laws criminalising sarne-sex sexual acts between consenting adults, Brussels: ILGA- The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, 2011 (online at http:!/ilga.org/ilga/en/article/1161).

Kees Waaldijk, Legal recognition of homosexual orientation in the countries of the world A chronological overview with footnotes, Leiden: Leiden Law School, 2009 (online at http:/ /hdl.handle.net/ 1887 I 14 543).

For an overview of the applicable standards in international and European law, see: Kees Waaldijk, 'Same-Sex Partnership, International Protection', in: R.

Wolfrum (ed.), Max Planck Encyclopedia for Public International Law, Oxford:

Oxford University Press (online at http:/!hdl.handle.net/1887/13858).

The following symbols have been used in the charts:

1993 'yes', since this year the relevant legislation (or court ruling) took effect

-

='no', there is no legislation (or court ruling) providing for this

[1993] = such legislation (or court ruling) is only in force in some parts of the country

(1993-2010) = such legislation did exist in the indicated period 1993? = information has not been confirmed

? = available information is contradictory or not available

European countries that legally recognise same-sex couples

Is there any Can same-sex Is joint and/or Can same-sex recognition in couples enter second-parent couples get law of non- into a registered adoption legally married?

registered partnership? If by same-sex If so, since cohabitation so, since when? partner(s) when?

by same-sex legally possible'

partners? If If so, since

so, since when?

when?

-~

Netherlands 1979 1998 2001 2001

Belgium 1996 2000 2006 2003

Spain 1994 - [1998] 2005 [2003] 2005

Norway 1991 - (1993-2009) 2001 2009

Sweden 1988 - (1995-2009) 2003 2009

Iceland 1994? - (1996-20 1 0) 2000 2010

Portugal 2001 - - 2010

Finland 2001? 2002 2009? in preparation

lux'bourg ? 2004 in preparation in preparation

Denmark 1986 1989 1999 -

Germany 2001 2001 2005

-

England & 1999 2005 2005 ^-

Wales

Scotland 2000 2005 2009 -

Northern ? 2005 in preparation -

Ireland

Slovenia ? 2006 in preparation -

Greenland ? 1996 -

France 1993 1999 _- _-

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Countries ourside

Is there any

recognition m coup!es law of non- into a registered

cohabitat-ion

by same-seli partners? if since i.Mhen?

Canada 1 ')90 [19881

South Africa

sriH ^Argentina

arc Cihcrhll- d" 1\riti,h Channel Islands, and the Danish Faroe Islands). _U5A ₁_(J?_f1992J i [1 C)l)2j ---

!n 1 he cuumrin nf 1 lw orbc~r halC oF ^{pan of}^~hecc·ntinenr, there ^Mexico - [2007)

is ^y~,_:tno Nepal

col~ahiration). 'This is true

Israel all C0ltntrics rhat nsed to he part of the Soviet Union (Russia, Estonia, Latvla, Lithuania,

ll)94

rnost countries in anJ Uruguay 2008 2008

Serbia,

Brazil

)vblra, ivlonacn, San l'vlarino :n:d Vaticrm ^Australia

New Zealand

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States, districts and territories in North i\merlca and Australia where

-- (200R-20 1 n:

York (USA)

Can same-sex coup!es enter Con sarne-sex couples get CaHfcrnia {USP.}

!nto a registered !egai!v married?

partnership? Hawaii {USA)

If S01 s1nce v1hen 7

New Jersey (USA)

Tasmania (Australia)

Coahuila (Mexico)

Quc?bec

·---

fu1anitoba (C-1nada) 7J104

Oregon (USi.l.) S2skatchewan {Canact:J}

L- --~---·-·---~----~---~-+---~---1

1\lewfoundland /?,Labrador

Nevada {USA) (Canada}

---~ ---~~---~---~---~--~---~---~---~

Yukon Territory (Canada)

---·

Massachusetts (USA)

Alberta {Canada)

Northwest Territories 2005

(Canada)

Nev ... • !3runsvJlck {Canada) 2005

!---~---~---~--~----~--~--~---~---~

Prlnce Edward Island 200')

Nunavut (Canada)

-·--~---~---··---i---~---~--·---·---~·----+---~---~-~---~

Connecticut (USA) 10) 2008

Vermont (USII) (2000-.2DDlJ) 20()CJ

Iowa (US/\) 2009

District of Columbia {USA} 2010

~-;~-::.~1 District (M<·.,-x_i_c_r-J)·---·--+--)--(l-()-7---~---+-2-0_l_ll ______________________ ----l