The Polish government is working to amend regulations following a court ruling requiring recognition of same-sex marriages registered abroad.
Government Works on Transcription Regulation
On Friday, the Supreme Administrative Court issued a landmark ruling obligating the Warsaw civil registry office to recognize a Polish same-sex marriage concluded abroad and register it in the civil registry.
Previously, in November of last year, the Court of Justice of the European Union ordered Poland to recognize such marriages.
Changes to Document Templates
Following the CJEU ruling, the government began work on a draft amendment to the regulation concerning the templates of documents issued in the field of civil registration.
The proposed changes, prepared by the Ministry of Digital Affairs, would replace the terms “woman” and “man” in these documents with “spouse one” and “spouse two,” removing gender distinctions for married couples.
Implementation and Inter-Ministerial Review
“Current inter-ministerial work is underway, and I am determined to ensure the regulation comes into force,” stated Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski.
Approval from the Ministry of Interior and Administration is still needed for the amendment to take effect. Unofficial information indicates that several ministries, including the MSWiA, have submitted comments on the draft regulation.
Ministerial Assurances and Ongoing Work
As of the time of publication, a comment from the MSWiA spokesperson or its head, Marcin Kierwiński, could not be obtained.
In December, the Minister assured that the government would comply with the CJEU ruling, stating, “We will find a way to refine these solutions so that transcription for people who have entered into a same-sex marriage, because they lived in another European country, can be carried out when they come to Poland.”
Related Legislative Efforts in Parliament
Simultaneously, the Sejm is working on draft laws (the Act on the Status of the Closest Person and the Act introducing its provisions) to regulate informal relationships.
According to coalition agreements, both laws are to be adopted before the summer recess.
