US EditionFrance moves to abolish concept of marital duty to have sex
- On Wednesday, the National Assembly approved a bill to end `marital duty` by amending the civil code to state living together does not create a sexual obligation, backed by more than 120 cross‑party MPs with 106 votes in favour and zero against.
- Responding to legal ambiguity, lawmakers say the move addresses a long-standing issue critics say weakened sexual consent and let outdated ideas cloud divorce proceedings.
- Lawyers supporting the change argued `this decision marks the abolition of marital duty and an archaic vision of the family,` and a unanimous judgement held `any non-consensual sexual act constitutes a form of sexual violence.`
- Lawmakers say the amendment will bind French judges and change divorce proceedings by removing interpretations implying sexual obligation, strengthening consent protections.
- It now goes to the Senate, where supporters aim to make it law before summer 2026 following last year’s consent reform and a 69-year-old woman’s appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
59 Articles
59 Articles
The French National Assembly on Thursday approved a bill that specifies that marriage does not mean that partners are obligated to have sex. The law is intended to make it impossible to cite lack of sexual intercourse as a reason for divorce and supporters of the bill also hope to deter would-be perpetrators from raping their partners.
France to abolish marital duty to have sex
France made marital rape a crime in 1994, but it nonetheless retains in law a marital duty to have sex. In 2026, the land of love is to finally abolish conjugal rights. A bill approved on Wednesday in the National Assembly adds a clause to the country's civil code to make clear that "community of living" does not create an "obligation for sexual relations". — Read the rest The post France to abolish marital duty to have sex appeared first on Bo…
The "marital duty" did not exist, but it took a bill, unanimously passed on Wednesday, to delete it. Contrary to the ideas received, the term "marital duty" n
The case started when a man divorced his wife in 2019 on the grounds that she refused to sleep with him for several years.
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