French lawmakers have approved a bill that removes any legal basis for the idea that marriage creates an obligation to engage in sexual relations. The legislation clarifies that a couple’s “community of living” does not amount to sexual duty and prevents lack of sex from being used as grounds for fault-based divorce.
According to reports monitored by Okay News, the move follows growing legal and public scrutiny after a 2019 divorce case where a woman was blamed for refusing sex, a ruling later overturned by the European Court of Human Rights. The court held that such interpretations violated sexual autonomy within marriage, prompting France to align its civil code with modern consent standards.
Supporters of the bill say marriage should never imply permanent sexual consent. The reform also builds on France’s broader legal changes that now define rape strictly around clear and revocable consent. The bill is expected to pass its final stages and become law in the coming weeks.
