In anticipation of a failure by Congress to legislate on the issue of gay marriage, Colombia’s notaries have drafted a legal document by which same-sex civil unions would be formalized.
In what could be viewed as an indication that the Superintendency of Notaries does not expect Congress to legislate on gay marriage by the June 20 deadline imposed by the Constitutional Court, a draft of the contract to be used for the formalizing of same-sex civil unions has been drafted and distributed to the country’s 870 notaries for discussion.
MORE: Same sex couples constitute family: Colombian Constitutional Court
Colombia’s Constitutional Court ruled in 2011 that if Congress fails to pass legislation on gay marriage before June 20 of this year, Colombian homosexual couples would be free to have their partnerships formalized by Colombia’s courts and notaries.
The document emerged after Congress again postponed the debate over the gay marriage bill, over which Congress is strongly divided.
MORE: Congress ‘divided’ on gay marriage: Senator
Congress is set to meet again on April 23 to resume debate over the bill.
MORE: Congress postpones gay marriage debate yet again
Sources
- Notarios alistan contrato para la formalización de matrimonios gay (Caracol)
- The Contract Draft (Caracol)
