The government yesterday published a Bill to amend the Civil Code as follows:

1. When a child is born out of wedlock, the mother’s status as single mother will not be indicated – for privacy reasons – on the birth certificate.

2. The charge of “unjustified enrichment” is being introduced. Anyone taking unjustified advantage of someone else will have to pay compensation.

3. Certain items of value can be used as collateral against borrowing with the introduction of privileges and hypothecs on certain items, which privileges are also carried on when the property is sold (droit de suite). To date this was not possible.

4. In respect of children born before December 2003, when reforms of the family law were introduced, fathers who wish to deny paternity, and to prove that the offspring that carries his name is not his, can now do so under the same conditions and regulations that apply to children born after this date, so long as action is taken before the end of 2007.

The DOI said yesterday that after separation cases are decided upon, the court can order that the finer details of the court’s decision, such as the liquidation of the community of acquests, can be sorted out by the Arbitration Centre.