by NexDev | May 20, 2016 | Uncategorized
One of the provisions, which went nearly unnoticed, of the justice bill currently examined by the French MPs, is about the possibility to sign the Civil Solidarity Pact at the town hall, and no longer at the courthouse.
This bill « on Justice for the 21st Century » initiated by Mrs. Taubira, former Minister of Justice, was presented to the Senate on July 31, 2015 using an expedited procedure. In November 2015 it was voted on by the senators, and since this past May 17th, it is currently being discussed at the National Assembly.
This draft bill contains a number of provisions regarding justice in general, but also many major societal issues, for example the possibility of divorcing by mutual consent before the notary and no longer before the judge, or a more straightforward procedure for sex change rectification for transsexuals.
While some Civil Solidarity Pacts (CSP) are already signed symbolically at the town hall, but without any legal value, French Justice Minister, Jean-Jacques Urvoas is suggesting that mayors, that is registration officers, be entrusted to register the certification procedure for the CSPs. He reintroduced this provision, which had previously been rejected by the Senate who frowned on the additional expense for the municipal services, without compensation. In return, the minister suggests to simplify some procedures, for example, the possibility, under certain conditions, of no longer requiring duplicate originals of civil status certificates.
On October 13, 1999, the « CSP» was voted on by the National Assembly. In order to avoid confusion with marriage, the “CSP” was under the responsibility of District Court services. “Previously there was a fear of an amalgam between marriage and CSP, which led to resort to District court services. There is no such fear today and thus no need to resort to District Court services for CSP future partners”, underlined the text’s rapporteurs. Three years following the law on ‘Marriage for All”, this change could have an impact on approximately 168,000 CSPs every year, with a prominent majority of male-female couples.
However the Justice Minister still needs to convince the Assembly of the Mayors of France which is opposed to such a change.
by NexDev | May 20, 2016 | Uncategorized
The French bill on justice for the 21st Century”, previously examined by the Senate, is currently being debated at the National Assembly. This bill could be used to make considerably easier the procedure for register rectification for sex change for transsexual or transgender individuals.
Based on provisions related to the civil status, but completely irrelevant to this issue, the Ecologist Deputy, Sergio Coronado made a first attempt (via amendment N°CL89) which was rejected on May 4, 2016 by the Law Commission. Five other amendments were then examined by the Law Commission on May 17, 2016, prior to the public debate sessions: three were rejected whereas two (283 and 282) were accepted. The last two amendments, which are a copy, word for word, of the bill proposed in September 2015, were also voted on during the public session on May 19th.
These amendments, one of which was presented by the socialist group, and the other by the ecologist group, are intended to take the procedure for sex change out of the medical and legal fields by stipulating that the “applicant does not have to provide any medical document whatsoever”.
Until now, an individual wishing to have his sex changed on the civil register must in theory prove that the change is irreversible and thus produce a medical certificate attesting to a sex-change surgery or sterilization.
Henceforth, it would all depend on the applicant’s self-determination, and the Procurer of the Republic is expected to “attest” that he “appears and is recognized” with a sex which is not the one indicated in his civil status register.
Thus changing sex could become a simple administrative procedure. The applicant simply needs to write a request to the Procurer and provide information of his choice to support his request and attest to the motivation for sex change. The application may contain testimonies from family or friends, statements confirming that he is changing his physical appearance or his behavior to correspond to the sex requested or even contain documents proving that he is victim of discrimination.
Reminder of the legislative procedure:
On July 31, 2015 the government presented the bill on justice for the “21st Century” and applied the expedited procedure for the bill. The text was adopted by the Senate on November 5, 2015, and then examined in public session by the National Assembly from May 17 – 24, 2016. Due to the expedited procedure, there will be no second reading, and the text will be directly submitted to a Joint Committee responsible for reconciling the different versions adopted by both assemblies.
by NexDev | May 19, 2016 | Medically Assisted Procreation
On May 13, 2016 the Portuguese parliament adopted a law authorizing gestational surrogacy for women having uterine problems, as well as allowing all women access to medically assisted procreation (MAP).
Until now under Portuguese law, access to MAP was limited to male-female couples, either married or having lived together for a minimum of two years. The new law is willing to extend it to all women, whether infertile or not, and to single women or women living with a person of the same sex. Regarding the recourse to surrogate mothers, it will now become possible in cases of medical infertility due to hysterectomy or uterine disfunction, without any monetary compensation.
Observers are correct in seeing this as a first step towards subsequent extended openness, as underlined by the daily paper, Liberation: “Portugal thus has a foot in the European club of countries where gestational surrogacy is not considered taboo”.
The law was narrowly passed by a slim majority vote, with the communist party voting against the law. To be definitely enacted, subject to appeal at the Constitutional Council, it must also be signed by the President of the Republic.
Caroline Roux, Director of VITA International, and coordinating member of the collective group No Maternity Traffic, involved in the universal abolition of gestational surrogacy states:
« Having recourse to surrogate mothers is a serious offense to women’s rights, no matter what restrictions the Portuguese parliament intends to provide. Whereas the European Parliament has just condemned all forms of recourse to surrogacy, Portugal is not only seriously violating women’s rights, but also those of the child by instituting and planning the abandonment of the baby by the mother who carries him in her womb. A child is not something to be given away like an object, nor is a woman’s body to be rent, more or less free of charge. Concerning the evolution of access to MAP, society is henceforth endorsing that children can deliberately be deprived of having a father. In all the cases provided for in this law, we deplore that children are abused and treated unjustly to satisfy adults’ desires.”
by NexDev | May 13, 2016 | Press Releases
Throughout France on Tuesday May 24, Alliance VITA will launch a large awareness campaign to inform and alert the public about the ethical issues of the new genetic discovery, called CRISPR-Cas9. Indeed, we are currently on the threshold of an unprecedented scientific and technological revolution.
In Paris, as in many other cities in France, the Alliance VITA teams will be going forth to meet the public in major places of the capital.
Simultaneously innovative, promising, and risky the CRISPR-Cas9 technique allows DNA modification of all plant, animal or human cells. When applied to patients, gene editing holds great promise for curing a variety of genetic diseases, particularly for hereditary diseases. But CRISPR-Cas9 can also be applied to human embryos or germlines, to create genetically modified babies.
The campaign will be a worldwide premiere to draw citizens’ attention on the international issues raised by CRISPR-Cas9 development perspectives. Still, it is currently too confined to scientific and industrial areas and too much neglected by politicians.
Yet some researchers around the world have already started to behave like the sorcerer’s apprentice and they do not make it a secret that they intend to change human beings by creating transgenic human embryos. Alliance VITA is convinced that citizens should urgently take part in this huge ethical debate considering its impacts on future generations, and that France should make her voice heard in the world.
Simultaneously in 80 cities, 1,100 Alliance VITA supporters will meet the public to provide information about the ethical challenges. On May 24 VITA will announce a call for action.
by NexDev | May 11, 2016 | News
The Dutch authorities have just revealed a case of euthanasia for a young 20-year old woman last year because she was suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. As a child, she suffered serious and numerous traumas, in particular as a victim of sexual abuse, according to papers released by the Dutch Euthanasia Commission. The resulting mental trauma appeared 15 years after the incidents. Doctors accepted to put an end to her life, as permitted by Dutch law, since euthanasia has been decriminalized in the country since 2001. They went ahead despite positive improvements in the woman’s condition after ‘intensive therapy’ two years before her death.
Tugdual Derville, general delegate for Alliance VITA and spokesman for Soulager mais pas tuer (Relieve Suffering without Killing) states:
« The disclosure of this latest tragedy shows the slippery ground when the door for euthanasia and assisted suicide is opened. In the Netherlands, the number of cases is constantly rising with a 50% increase in the past 4 years. The 2015 Annual Report from the regional committees who track euthanasia shows that 56 of the euthanasia patients for that year were suffering from psychiatric problems. And now discussions are now being held to extend access of euthanasia to children under 12 years old or even to elderly individuals who are “tired of living”. A breach was opened… In just a few years the protective paradigm on which society is based is overwhelmed: flooded by false compassion, it doesn’t know how to take care of the most vulnerable individuals”.
