section_path: Recognition of same-sex marriage
section_name: Recognition of same-sex marriage
paragraph_text: Recognition of same-sex marriage
  
  In 2001, the Free List, one of the three political parties in the country, began working on a draft for a same-sex partnership law. The paper was accepted by the Landtag and given to the Liechtenstein Government. The proposed registered partnership bill was rejected by the Parliament in summer 2003. A new proposal by the Free List was adopted by the Landtag with a majority of 19 votes to 6 on 24 October 2007. Justice Minister Aurelia Frick presented the draft of the registered partnership bill in April 2010. On 23 November, the government approved the final version of the bill. On 16 December 2010, it was approved by the Landtag in the first reading. It passed its second reading on 16 March and was published on 21 March 2011. A group Vox Populi announced its intention to force a referendum on the matter. According to the Constitution, the organization had 30 days to collect at least 1,000 signatures. A referendum was held on 17 and 19 June 2011 and 68.8% of voters approved the law, which then went into effect on 1 September 2011.
  
  According to a report approved by the Liechtenstein government in October 2022, the current partnership law uses "gender-equitable formulations" in its general clauses and legal definitions, implying that both same-sex and opposite-sex couples can enter into registered partnerships under the current law.
  
  Since 1 January 2017, registered partners have been allowed to have a common "name" as equivalent to a "family name" for married couples.
  
  In 2018, a gay couple filed suit in court, arguing that the same-sex marriage ban is in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Constitution of Liechtenstein. Although a court of first instance initially ruled for the couple, the State Court (StGH) ruled in September 2019 that banning same-sex marriage is not unconstitutional. However, the court concluded that several provisions of the 2011 partnership law were discriminatory, notably its provisions prohibiting civil partners from adopting their stepchildren (so-called stepchild adoption).
  
  On 21 September 2022, a motion calling on the government to introduce a bill legalizing same-sex marriage was submitted to the Landtag by 15 out of the 25 sitting members. The motion was discussed in the plenary session on 2 November 2022, and was passed by a 23–2 vote.
  
  On 11 July 2023, the government adopted a consultation report regarding proposed changes to three existing laws as part of the motion's implementation: the Marriage Act, the Partnership Act, and the Personal and Company Act. A consultation period ended on 10 October 2023. In August 2023, Prime Minister Daniel Risch said that the legalization of same-sex marriage "should be coming very soon". On 6 February 2024, the government adopted the results of the consultation report along with the proposal regarding the amendment of the three aforementioned laws. Under the proposal, no new registered partnerships would be established in Liechtenstein, although existing ones would continue to be recognised and could be converted into marriage via a simple procedure. The bill passed its first reading on 8 March 2024 with 24 votes in favor and one against.
  
  A final vote on the legislation took place on 16 May, where the bill passed 24–1. Prior to the scheduling of the final vote, it was decided that no changes would be made towards the proposed legislation and that no referendum would be taken against it by the state parliament. The legislation received royal assent on 9 July 2024 and took effect on 1 January 2025.