Estonia: Starting New Year’s day, same-sex couples can now get legally married
Representational image of a same-sex couple Photograph:( Others )
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Estonia legalises same-sex marriage on January 1, 2024, allowing any two consenting adults to marry, providing clarity and equal rights. The legislative change builds on existing civil partnership rights.
Estonia legalises same-sex marriage on January 1, 2024, allowing any two consenting adults to marry, providing clarity and equal rights. The legislative change builds on existing civil partnership rights.
As of January 1, 2024, Estonia has embraced a groundbreaking legal shift, officially recognising and legalising same-sex marriage. This historic move allows any two consenting adults, irrespective of gender, to enter into marriage, marking a significant departure from previous legal frameworks.
Minister of Social Protection, Signe Riisalo, a member of the Reform Party, championed the legislative change. Minister Riisalo highlighted the resolution of years of legal ambiguity, stressing that the new law provides a foundation for security and equal rights for all residents in Estonia.
"Laws provide clarity and influence our attitudes. I hope that unfounded fears will recede and that critics of this decision will realize that what is being taken away is not something that is being taken away, but something very important that is being added for many of us," she said in a statement.
Transition from civil partnerships to marriage
Notably, same-sex couples in Estonia have had the option to register their relationships as civil partnerships for several years prior to this development.
The recent legal amendment extends and solidifies the rights of these couples, offering them the opportunity to seamlessly transition from civil partnerships to full-fledged marriages if they wish to do so.
Marriage, whether for same-sex or opposite-sex couples, brings with it additional rights and responsibilities under Estonian law. These encompass various aspects such as benefits, property, housing, lineage, and inheritance.
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The legal recognition of same-sex marriages ensures that these couples now share in these rights and obligations on an equal footing with their heterosexual counterparts.
The Estonian Parliament, known as the Riigikogu, officially passed this transformative law on June 20. After months of anticipation, the legislation has now come into effect on January 1.
(With inputs from agencies)
