Université de Fribourg

Mandatory civil marriage according to Swiss law: Superfluous historical remnant or building block in the fight against forced marriages?

Pahud de Mortanges, René ; Leitz, Barnaby

(IR-Papers ; 3)

In the 19th century, the prohibition of religious weddings prior to state marriages had the objective of enforcing the right to marriage and preventing discriminatory practices, particularly those of the Catholic Church. While this is no longer pertinent, mandatory civil marriage has a new raison d'être in today's age of migration. The state thereby requires and ensures that marriages in...