2023-04-192022/23:CU6 · p.17CUCivil law & housing
Adoption and other matters
Removing relationship-status requirements for joint adoption
What's at stake: The issue concerns whether separated couples, such as former foster parents or specially appointed guardians, should be able to adopt a child jointly without being required to be married or cohabiting. It affects which adults can become the legal parents of children who already have an established relationship with them.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The motion called for formal relationship-status requirements, such as marriage or cohabitation, to be scrapped entirely so that people can adopt jointly, while the committee held that the outcome of an ongoing government inquiry should be awaited before further steps are taken.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee rejects the motion and sees no reason to pre-empt the outcome of the ongoing inquiry into parenthood law for all, whose proposals to expand adoption possibilities for previously married or cohabiting couples are currently out for consultation.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 19 (MP)
The reserving party (MP) welcomes the inquiry's proposal that spouses and cohabitants who have been foster parents or specially appointed guardians should be able to adopt a child jointly even after separating, but wants to go further and remove formal relationship-status requirements for joint adoption altogether, so that the relationship instead becomes part of the individual best-interests assessment.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 19 by MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | Yes 92/0/0/15 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/16/0/2 | follows the plan | confidence: high | not addressed |
| C | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| KD | Yes | Yes 17/0/0/2 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 59/0/0/9 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 64/0/0/9 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects motion 2022/23:2090 by Ulrika Westerlund et al. (MP) demand 2.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motion 2022/23:2090 av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP) yrkande 2.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag directed an appeal, a so-called tillkännagivande (formal request), to the government to take measures for a more functioning, efficient and legally certain procedure for property divisions. For the party in the worst economic position, it usually has very significant economic importance that the property division is completed. Often, however, one party benefits from the property division being drawn out, which has been established in an investigation. The Riksdag notes that the government is to begin mapping how large the problem with protracted property division processes is. The Riksdag views this positively and means that it is high time for the government to proceed with the issue. Among other things, the government should review the possibility of introducing a reasonable time limit for when a property division should be completed. The formal request is based on several proposals in motions that were submitted during the general motion period of 2022. In total, the Riksdag has dealt with approximately 130 proposals in various family law matters, which also concern, among other things, the legal regulation of parenthood, period for reflection in divorce, and various matters of custody. The Riksdag rejected the other motions, partly by referring to the fact that the government is already working on the issues.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to limit the possibility of challenging presumed parenthood by introducing a three-year time limit from the child's birth. (MP) — Reservation 19
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan requires that the best interests of children come first and that family law treats everyone equally, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that the best interests of children come first and that family law treats everyone equally, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. To abolish the requirements for formal relationship status in joint adoption and instead weigh the relationship in the assessment of the best interests of the child follows from both these commitments. The programme also warns about the negative consequences of society being organised according to expected family norms.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att barnens bästa kommer i första rummet och att familjerätten behandlar alla lika, oavsett sexuell läggning eller könsidentitet. Att slopa kraven på formell relationsstatus vid gemensam adoption och i stället väga relationen in i bedömningen av barnets bästa följer av båda dessa åtaganden. Programmet varnar också för de negativa konsekvenserna av att samhället organiseras utifrån förväntade familjenormer.
- the best interests of children firstdecisive»Vänsterpartiets politik ska utformas så att barnens bästa kommer i första rummet.« (party programme ↗)“The Left Party's policy shall be formulated so that the best interests of children come first.”
- equal treatment in family law»Det innebär till exempel att äktenskapslagstiftning, arvsrätt och familjerätt ska behandla alla lika.« (party programme ↗)“That means for example that marriage law, inheritance law and family law shall treat everyone equally.”
- equal rights regardless of orientation»Alla människor ska ha samma rättigheter och samma chans till delaktighet, oavsett sexuell läggning eller könsidentitet.« (party programme ↗)“All people shall have the same rights and the same opportunity for participation, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”
- critique of family norms»Samhällets normer och materiella organisering utifrån två kön och den normativt förväntade heterosexualiteten (heteronormativiteten) får långtgående negativa konsekvenser.« (party programme ↗)“Society's norms and material organisation based on two sexes and the normatively expected heterosexuality (heteronormativity) have far-reaching negative consequences.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The party programme requires that the child's best interests be taken into account in all decisions and envisions a society without prejudices where the individual is free to shape their life according to their own desires.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme requires that the child's best interests be taken into account in all decisions and envisions a society without prejudices where the individual is free to shape their life according to their own desires. Removing requirements for formal relationship status in joint adoption and instead considering the relationship in assessing the child's best interests follows from these principles. Adoption regulations are not explicitly addressed in the documents.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet kräver att barnens bästa beaktas vid alla beslut och vill ett samhälle utan fördomar där människan är fri att forma sin tillvaro efter egna önskningar. Att slopa krav på formell relationsstatus vid gemensam adoption och i stället väga relationen in i bedömningen av barnets bästa följer av dessa principer. Adoptionsreglerna behandlas inte uttryckligen i dokumenten.
- the child's best interests determinedecisive»Alla barn ska ha rätt till en trygg uppväxt i enlighet med FN:s barnkonvention. Barnens« (party programme ↗)“All children shall have the right to a safe upbringing in accordance with the UN child convention. The child's”
- society without prejudices»klasskillnader, patriarkat, rasism eller homo- och transfobi, ett samhälle utan fördomar och« (party programme ↗)“class differences, patriarchy, racism or homophobia and transphobia, a society without prejudices and”
- freedom to shape one's life»Människan ska vara fri att utvecklas som individ, råda över sitt eget liv, forma sin tillvaro« (party programme ↗)“The individual should be free to develop as an individual, have command over their own life, shape their existence”
- equal conditions for children»Alla barn och ungdomar ska ha rätt till likvärdiga villkor« (party programme ↗)“All children and young people shall have the right to equal conditions”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan states that society shall be adapted to different family constellations and that a family is built on love, security and respect, not on ideas about how a family should be, and wants to strengthen rights for all types of families.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that society shall be adapted to different family constellations and that a family is built on love, security and respect, not on ideas about how a family should be, and wants to strengthen rights for all types of families. To abolish requirements for formal relationship status in joint adoption and instead weigh the child's best interests follows from this.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att samhället ska vara anpassat till olika familjekonstellationer och att en familj bygger på kärlek, trygghet och respekt, inte på föreställningar om hur en familj ska vara, och vill stärka rättigheterna för alla typer av familjer. Att slopa kraven på formell relationsstatus vid gemensam adoption och i stället väga barnets bästa följer av detta.
- all family constellationsdecisive»Samhället ska vara anpassat till olika familjekonstellationer. En familj bygger på kärlek, trygghet och respekt, inte på föreställningar om hur en familj ska vara.« (party programme ↗)“Society shall be adapted to different family constellations. A family is built on love, security and respect, not on ideas about how a family should be.”
- strengthened rights for diverse families»anpassa familjepolitiken så att den blir könsneutral och stärka rättigheterna för stjärnfamiljer, det vill säga alla olika typer av familjer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“adapt family policy so it becomes gender-neutral and strengthen rights for diverse families, that is all different types of families.”
- the child's best interests in law»FN:s barnkonvention ska bli svensk lag« (party programme ↗)“The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child shall become Swedish law”
- secure childhood for all»En trygg barndom med goda möjligheter till lek ska vara en rättighet för alla.« (party programme ↗)“A secure childhood with good opportunities for play shall be a right for everyone.”
The plan establishes that neither the state nor society shall define people or stand in the way of their lives, and that everyone shall be able to determine their own lives through their own free choices.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that neither the state nor society shall define people or stand in the way of their lives, and that everyone shall be able to determine their own lives through their own free choices. The party programme moreover makes children's rights and perspective paramount. Removing the requirement for formal relationship status and instead weighing the relationship into the assessment of the child's best interest follows from these commitments; the adoption rules are not mentioned, however.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att varken staten eller samhället ska definiera människor eller stå i vägen för deras liv, och att alla ska kunna bestämma över sina egna liv genom egna och fria val. Partiprogrammet gör dessutom barnens rättigheter och perspektiv överordnade. Att ta bort kravet på formell relationsstatus och i stället väga relationen in i bedömningen av barnets bästa följer av dessa åtaganden; adoptionsreglerna nämns dock inte.
- the state does not define the familydecisive»Varken staten eller samhället ska definiera dig eller stå i vägen för din utveckling eller dina drömmar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Neither the state nor society shall define you or stand in the way of your development or your dreams.”
- the child's best interest decides»Av största betydelse är då barnens rättigheter och perspektiv.« (party programme ↗)“Of paramount importance are then the rights and perspective of children.”
- self-determination»Alla ska kunna bestämma över sina egna liv genom egna och fria val.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone shall be able to determine their own lives through their own free choices.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The party programme wants to increase the possibility of adoption for children expected to spend their entire upbringing in foster care and that more foster-placed children become their foster parents' guardians.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme wants to increase the possibility of adoption for children expected to spend their entire upbringing in foster care and that more foster-placed children become their foster parents' guardians. Removing the requirement for formal relationship status and instead weighing the relationship in assessing the child's best interests follows from the same line and from the principle of equal right to private and family life. The plan also wants more parenthoods created in other ways to be recognized in Sweden.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet vill öka möjligheten till adoption för barn som väntas tillbringa hela uppväxten i familjehem och att fler familjehemsplacerade barn får sina familjehemsföräldrar som vårdnadshavare. Att ta bort kravet på formell relationsstatus och i stället väga in relationen i bedömningen av barnets bästa följer av samma linje och av principen om lika rätt till privat- och familjeliv. Planen vill också att fler föräldraskap som uppstått på andra vägar erkänns i Sverige.
- expanded adoption possibilitiesdecisive»adoption av barn som väntas tillbringa hela uppväxten i familjehem bör öka.« (party programme ↗)“adoption of children expected to spend their entire upbringing in foster care should increase.”
- foster care as guardianship»Fler familjehemsplacerade barn bör få sina familjehemsföräldrar som vårdnadshavare.« (party programme ↗)“More foster-placed children should have their foster parents as guardians.”
- equal right to family life»Alla ska ha samma rätt till respekt för sitt privat- och familjeliv.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone must have the same right to respect for their private and family life.”
- recognize more parenthoods»underlätta för de par som i utlandet använder värdmödraskap att i här i Sverige erkännas som barnets föräldrar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“facilitate for couples who abroad use surrogacy to here in Sweden be recognized as the child's parents”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan wants society to uphold a conscious intention towards stable family community and points to the marriage law as the safest legal form for cohabitation.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants society to uphold a conscious intention towards stable family community and points to the marriage law as the safest legal form for cohabitation. Completely removing the requirements for formal relationship status in joint adoption removes precisely the mark the plan wants to make. The plan's child perspective in adoption speaks for individual assessment, but not for abandoning the legal standing of relationship form.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill att samhället framhåller en medveten vilja till stabil familjegemenskap och pekar ut giftermålsbalken som den tryggaste juridiska formen för samlevnad. Att helt ta bort kraven på formell relationsstatus vid gemensam adoption tar bort just den markering planen vill göra. Planens barnperspektiv vid adoption talar för individuell prövning, men inte för att relationsformens rättsliga stadga överges.
- stable family communitydecisive»Samhället ska framhålla en medveten vilja till stabil« (party programme ↗)“Society shall uphold a conscious intention towards stable”
- safest legal form of cohabitation»och samkönade par och som erbjuder den tryggaste juridiska formen för samlevnad.« (party programme ↗)“and same-sex couples and which offers the safest legal form for cohabitation.”
- child perspective in adoption»Utgångspunkten vid adoption är att sätta barnperspektivet i främsta rummet.« (party programme ↗)“The starting point in adoption is to put the child perspective first.”
- stronger families»STARKARE FAMILJER« (2022 manifesto ↗)“STRONGER FAMILIES”
The plan states that family policy is not contemporary based on how people today form families and wants all family legislation to be gender-neutral.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that family policy is not contemporary based on how people today form families and wants all family legislation to be gender-neutral. Removing requirements for formal relationship status in joint adoption and instead weighing the relationship in assessment of the child's best interests follows from that stance. The plan does not, however, directly address adoption rules.
Original (Swedish)
Planen konstaterar att familjepolitiken inte är tidsenlig utifrån hur människor i dag bildar familj och vill att all familjelagstiftning ska vara könsneutral. Att ta bort kraven på formell relationsstatus vid gemensam adoption och i stället väga in relationen i bedömningen av barnets bästa följer av den hållningen. Planen behandlar dock inte adoptionsreglerna direkt.
- contemporary family policydecisive»Samtidigt är familjepolitiken inte tidsenlig och utformad utifrån hur människor idag väljer att bilda familj och leva sina liv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time family policy is not contemporary and designed based on how people today choose to form families and live their lives.”
- gender-neutral family law»Se till att all familjelagstiftning är könsneutral« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ensure that all family legislation is gender-neutral”
- widened paths to parenthood»Verka för att altruistiskt surrogatmoderskap ska vara möjligt i Sverige« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work for altruistic surrogacy to be possible in Sweden”
- family in different forms»Att familjen – i de olika former den kan ha« (party programme ↗)“That the family – in the different forms it can have”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan's decisive commitment is that the child's best interests shall always be taken into account and that children's need for both parents shall be met regardless of which family constellation adults choose.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's decisive commitment is that the child's best interests shall always be taken into account and that children's need for both parents shall be met regardless of which family constellation adults choose. Replacing formal requirements on relationship status with an assessment of the child's best interests in the individual case aligns with this. The party programme's emphasis on the nuclear family as the best growing environment points in the opposite direction, which is why support is weak. The committee's reasoning about ongoing investigation is not touched upon.
Original (Swedish)
Planens avgörande åtagande är att barnets bästa alltid ska beaktas och att barns behov av båda sina föräldrar ska tillgodoses oavsett vilken familjekonstellation vuxna väljer. Att ersätta formella krav på relationsstatus med en prövning av barnets bästa i det enskilda fallet ligger i linje med detta. Principprogrammets betoning på kärnfamiljen som bästa uppväxtmiljö drar i motsatt riktning, varför stödet är svagt. Utskottets skäl om pågående utredning berörs inte.
- child's need before constellationdecisive»Att barns behov av båda sina föräldrar tillgodoses, oavsett vilken familjekonstellation vuxna personer väljer är grundläggande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That children's need for both parents shall be met, regardless of which family constellation adults choose, is fundamental.”
- child's best interests always»Att barnets bästa alltid ska beaktas« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That the child's best interests shall always be taken into account”
- nuclear family as norm»Det minst komplicerade, och därmed bästa för de flesta barn, är enligt vår bedömning att få växa upp« (party programme ↗)“The least complicated, and thus best for most children, is according to our assessment to grow up”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:CU6)
- Committee report full text (HA01CU6)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:1057 — Våldsutövande föräldrars rätt till vårdnad av Azadeh Rojhan och Alexandra Völker (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:1060 — Ökat barnrättsperspektiv i mål om vårdnad av Sanne Lennström och Ardalan Shekarabi (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:1096 — Rätten att själv bestämma över sin kvarlåtenskap av Alexandra Anstrell och Mats Green (båda M)
- Motion 2022/23:1115 — Införande av registrering av testamenten och framtidsfullmakter av Ingemar Kihlström (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1188 — Internationell solidaritet - en stark röst för hbtq-plus-personers rättigheter av Anna Wallentheim m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1311 — Kvinnor som lever under hot av Alexandra Völker och Azadeh Rojhan (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:1673 — Jämställdhet för hållbar utveckling av Annie Lööf m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1680 — Situationen för kvinnor som tvingas leva gömda av Helena Vilhelmsson m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1682 — Arvode för vigselförrättare av Ulrika Heie (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1731 — Tidsgräns vid bodelning av Eva Lindh m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1836 — Krav på bodelningsprocessen av Ann-Charlotte Hammar Johnsson och Helena Bouveng (båda M)
- Motion 2022/23:1980 — Borgerlig vigselförrättare av Ann-Charlotte Hammar Johnsson och Ulrika Heindorff (båda M)
- Motion 2022/23:2070 — Ekonomiskt våld mot kvinnor av Robert Hannah (L)
- Motion 2022/23:2090 — En familjepolitik för alla barns rätt till sina föräldrar av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:2117 — Förbud mot kusingifte av Boriana Åberg (M)
- Motion 2022/23:2139 — Utgiftsområde 4 Rättsväsendet av Ardalan Shekarabi m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2218 — Familjerätt av Jennie Nilsson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2250 — Identifiera föräldraalienation och umgängessabotage av Runar Filper (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:2277 — Jämställdhetspolitik av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:245 — Våld och vårdnad av Nadja Awad m.fl. (V)
Source: The Swedish Parliament