The Government Legislative Center has published a draft bill on civil partnerships. Its author, Katarzyna Kotula, has no doubt that this is a historic moment.
The draft bill on registered civil partnerships, authored by Katarzyna Kotula, has been published on the Government Legislative Center’s website. “This is a historic project because it’s a government one. I hope it will lead to a change in the law and the introduction of registered civil partnerships. Twenty years of submitting parliamentary bills have gotten us nowhere,” said the minister.
According to the Left Party politician, the bill she submitted is “a new chapter in the long march towards equality, which, thanks to the years of work by many LGBT organizations and civil society, has brought us to this historic moment.” She added, “This is a moment the LGBT community has been waiting for years. I hope it gives them a sense of security and also shows that the October 15 Coalition takes their rights seriously.”
The bill states that “the law defines the principles under which a registered civil partnership is entered into, dissolved, or terminated for other reasons, as well as the rights and obligations of persons in a civil partnership, including their financial relationships.”
According to the draft, “a civil partnership is entered into when two people, including those of the same sex, make a joint declaration before a registrar of their intention to enter into this partnership.”
Katarzyna Kotula explained that “the draft includes the registration of civil partnerships at the Civil Registry Office, the option of a shared surname, so-called limited guardianship, access to medical information, as well as issues related to the right to make burial decisions and inheritance matters.”
