Around 4,000 couples in Malta are living in cohabitation, Minister for Justice, Equality and Governance Edward Zammit Lewis said today.
This was announced during a press conference by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Governance Edward Zammit Lewis and Parliamentary Secretary for Equality and Reforms Rosianne Cutajar, who discussed the new cohabitation act.
On Tuesday, Parliament approved the Cohabitation Act, a law which officially recognises cohabiting families and gives such families more rights and protection,
The 2017 Cohabitation Act did already recognise cohabitations, but couples found a number of difficulties in the application. It is to be noted that nothing will change for those couples who are already in a cohabitation contract. The process to enter a public deed of cohabitation includes the couple meeting with their notary and both persons presenting the notary their Free Status Certificate and identification documents. Both persons declare that there is nothing precluding them from entering into a public deed of cohabitation, and they must state as to whether they had previously been in another cohabitation relationship. Within 20 days from when the notary enrols the public deed, the Public Registry than issues a Certificate of Cohabitation, which confirms that, the State recognises that cohabitation.
The Cohabitation Act gives the family a set of rights similar to those given to married or civil union couples. Zammit Lewis stressed that the Cohabitation Act should give importance to children’s rights. The law provides the couple various social benefits, including widows or retirement pension, foster care, allowances for children in care, and children with disabilities, among others.
Cutajar highlighted that previously couples and families used to receive a lot of prejudice because of their relationship choice. “Today, we no longer have that form of prejudice, today we have a law which gives such families the rights which are very similar to those who are married or have a civil union couples.”
Both Zammit Lewis and Cutajar said that the government will continue their commitment to continue bringing more rights to Malta.
Opposition invited to join consultation process with aim of eliminating all forms of discrimination
Zammit Lewis and Cutajar once again invited the Opposition to join them in consultations with the aim of eliminating all forms of discrimination.
Last week, a statement was issued by the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE), regarding the notarial act which discriminates against women, as women are still forced to give marital status on official contracts. The NCPE had invited the Opposition for consultations regarding the removal of this discrimination. The Opposition appealed and filed a motion (Motion 275) with the clerk of the House of Commons, where the Opposition presented a ‘Private Member’s Bill’ in order to amend the provisions of Chapter 55 of the Laws of Malta.
In a statement the Ministry stressed that this is not the way things are done, as a simple amendment does not change anything. The Ministry highlighted that there needs to be continuous ongoing broad consultation process, even hand in hand with the Opposition, not to just amend the law but ensure that the changes are in line with the mentality of the public. “This is the only way to eradicate any discrimination against women, instead of a simple amendment to the law that will lead nowhere.”