Families Across Borders | law, policy, news and views
Preview 2013: Same-Sex Marriage in France and the UK
Legislation to extend full marriage rights to same-sex couples is on the political agenda in both France and the UK for 2013. See Harvey Morris, Gay Marriage Fight Intensifies in Britain and France, International Herald Tribune/NY Times, Dec. 12, 2012. In Britain, this would add an option in addition to civil partnerships, which became possible under legislation enacted [...]
Policy Guidance on Deportations and Same-Sex Partners
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano has directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to develop written policy guidance treating consider long-term same-sex couple relationships among the “family relationships” that may be considered in the decision whether to grant a stay of deportation. Here’s coverage of the story: Maria Sacchetti, U.S. Will Consider Same-Sex Partnerships in Deportations (Boston [...]
Cross-Border Issues for Same-Sex Couples: European Version
Excellent article in the New York Times on the situation facing same-sex couples in Europe. See Paul Geitner, On Gay Marriage, Europe Strains to Square 27 Interests (NY Times, July 25, 2012).
New Issue: International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family
Online access to the August 2011 issue of the International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family is available here. Articles include: Normann Witzleb, Marriage as the ‘Last Frontier’? Same-Sex Relationship Recognition in Australia; Maria Eriksson, Contact, Shared Parenting, and Violence: Children as Witnesses of Domestic Violence in Sweden; Ali Reda Bariklou, The Wife’s Right [...]
DOMA, Immigration Law and Bi-National Couples
In late February, the Obama Adminsitration announced that it would no longer defend the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in litigation pending in several courts. (See Charlie Savage and Sheryl Gay Stolberg, In Shift, U.S. Says Marriage Act Blocks Civil Rights, NY Times Feb. 23, 2011). One of the effects of DOMA has been [...]
Two PACS for every three marriages in France
Statistics for 2009 showed 250,000 marriages in France and 173,045 registrations of a pacte civil de solidarité (PACS). France allows both opposite-sex and same-sex couples to enter a PACS, and 95 percent of the newPACS registered in 2009 were between opposite-sex couples. See Scott Sayare and Maïa De la Baume, In France, Civil Unions Gain Favor [...]
WSJ on “Assembling the Global Baby”
Amazing description in this Wall Street Journal story of the new world of international surrogacy, with particular attention to the recruiting of women located in Greece and India to act as surrogates and a broker based in California. See Tamara Audi and Arlene Chang, Assembling the Global Baby (12/10/10).
More Developments in International Surrogacy
International recognition of the parent-child relationship established after a surrogate pregnancy remains a complex problem for a number of European countries. This post on conflictoflaws.net reports on a new Instruction regarding registration of foreign births by surrogacy in Spain. Another post reported on a ruling in Belgium that recognized the paternity of a Belgian biological father with respect [...]
Mexico’s Supreme Court and Same-Sex Marriage
According to a recent ruling of Mexico’s Supreme Court, all of the Mexican states must recognize the validity of same-sex marriages entered into in Mexico City. See David Agren, Mexican States Ordered to Honor Gay Marriages (NTY 8/10/10).
Argentina Becomes First Latin American Country to Allow Same-Sex Marriage
Here’s a report in the New York Times by Alexei Barrionuevo: Argentina Approves Gay Marriage. the article notes that both Uruguay and Colombia allow same-sex couples to form civil unions, and Mexico City allows same-sex couples to marry.
