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to legal ambiguity, lawmakers say the move addresses a long-standing issue critics say weakened sexual consent and let outdated ideas cloud divorce proceedings.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.
72 Articles
72 Articles
A non-partisan motion for a law is intended to finally amend the Civil Code. The first parliamentary step has been taken.
On Wednesday, MPs voted for a bill confirming the absence of "marital duty" in French law. Until then, a divorce could be pronounced to the exclusive wrongs of those who refuse to have sex with their spouse, which has led France to a condemnation by European justice. Beyond putting an end to this legal paradox, the text also aims to raise awareness of the inescapable need for consent. - "The last of the taboos": what will really change the law o…
Members unanimously delete the ambiguity of the French Civil Code and include a clause on the absence of an intimate obligation.
By 106 votes to none, the National Assembly has passed a law that puts an end to "conjugal duty" in France and puts an end to the idea that marriage...
French legislation will replace concept of ‘conjugal duty’ with ‘sexual autonomy’
The French Senate is ready to discuss and approve legislation aimed at removing any legal basis for the idea that marriage creates an obligation to ‘conjugal duty’ and engage in sexual relations.
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.
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