Chamber postpones decision on same-sex partnership bill

On Friday the Chamber of Deputies postponed passing a bill allowing the legal registration of same-sex partnerships in the Czech Republic; as was widely expected the Chamber returned the bill for a second reading at the end of November. The second reading may allow for additional changes before deputies vote near the end of the year. The legal recognition of same sex-partnership remains a heated issue among parliamentary parties, with factions within each party for or against. Only the Christian Democrats unequivocally oppose the bill, which, if passed, could give same-sex partners the right to medical information or the right to inherit, while, for example, banning them from adopting children.