Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Utländska månggiften i svensk rätt - En studie av rättsläget och dess utveckling

Brunestam, Clara LU (2020) LAGF03 20202
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
In Swedish law, polygamy has been both criminalized and considered an impediment of marriage for a long time. Monogamy, as well as gender equality and equality in general, are fundamental principles in Swedish family law. Polygamous marriages are legal in certain other states due to being considered favorable for both economic and social reasons. Many foreign polygamous marriages that figure in Sweden have been entered in accordance with legal systems allowing only men to enter said marriages.
The main rule concerning foreign polygamous marriages entered while at least one of the spouses had connection to Sweden, is that they are not valid. The regulation is primarily meant to prevent circumvention of Swedish law. Since Swedish law... (More)
In Swedish law, polygamy has been both criminalized and considered an impediment of marriage for a long time. Monogamy, as well as gender equality and equality in general, are fundamental principles in Swedish family law. Polygamous marriages are legal in certain other states due to being considered favorable for both economic and social reasons. Many foreign polygamous marriages that figure in Sweden have been entered in accordance with legal systems allowing only men to enter said marriages.
The main rule concerning foreign polygamous marriages entered while at least one of the spouses had connection to Sweden, is that they are not valid. The regulation is primarily meant to prevent circumvention of Swedish law. Since Swedish law protects monogamy as a fundamental principle the desire to prevent such abuse constitutes a legitimate reason to restrict acceptance. However, it does not motivate complete nullity since Swedish polygamous marriages are instead subject to divorce.
In consequence of the discriminatory character of the polygamous marriages in question, and from a perspective of equality, it has been claimed that the principle of ordre public should be applied in order to consider polygamous marriages without connection to Sweden invalid as well. Furthermore, new legislation has been proposed for the same reasons. However, there is disagreement concerning to what extent individual women are negatively affected. Regarding ordre public only the result in the individual case can be considered, but in the legislative process, general considerations can be made too. Several sources testify to personal harm, wherefore reason to restrict acceptance of foreign polygamous marriages appears to exist either way. It seems legitimate to treat foreign polygamous marriages different in comparison with the Swedish equivalent, but divorce appears more favorable to concerned women. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Enligt svensk lag föreligger sedan länge äktenskapshinder mot att ingå månggifte och tvegifte är dessutom kriminaliserat. Vidare är det svenska äktenskapet per definition monogamt. Makar ska även vara jämställda och behandlas lika. Det finns länder som tillåter månggiften av ekonomiska och sociala skäl. Bland utländska månggiften som figurerar i Sverige har många ingåtts enligt rättsordningar som enbart tillåter att män ingår månggiften.
Främst i syfte att beivra kringgående av svenska äktenskapshinder är huvudregeln att utländska månggiften, där minst en av makarna vid ingåendet hade svensk anknytning, inte erkänns i Sverige. Dagens äktenskapshinder mot månggifte värnar om monogami, vilket sedan länge är grundläggande för bl.a. svensk... (More)
Enligt svensk lag föreligger sedan länge äktenskapshinder mot att ingå månggifte och tvegifte är dessutom kriminaliserat. Vidare är det svenska äktenskapet per definition monogamt. Makar ska även vara jämställda och behandlas lika. Det finns länder som tillåter månggiften av ekonomiska och sociala skäl. Bland utländska månggiften som figurerar i Sverige har många ingåtts enligt rättsordningar som enbart tillåter att män ingår månggiften.
Främst i syfte att beivra kringgående av svenska äktenskapshinder är huvudregeln att utländska månggiften, där minst en av makarna vid ingåendet hade svensk anknytning, inte erkänns i Sverige. Dagens äktenskapshinder mot månggifte värnar om monogami, vilket sedan länge är grundläggande för bl.a. svensk familjerätt. Således synes det legitimt att begränsa utrymmet för utländska månggiften. Skälen motiverar dock inte att utländska månggiften ges nullitetsverkan då svenska månggiften istället upplöses genom äktenskapsskillnad.
Till följd av utländska månggiftens diskriminerande karaktär och, ur likabehandlingssynpunkt, problematiska konsekvenser har principen om ordre public anförts kunna tillämpas för att vägra även utländska månggiften utan svensk anknytning erkännande. Dessutom har strängare lagstiftning föreslagits av samma anledning. Det råder dock oenighet beträffande i vilken utsträckning enskilda kvinnor påverkas negativt. Avseende ordre public ska resultatet i det enskilda fallet beaktas, men vid lagstiftning är både generella och personliga aspekter relevanta. Flera källor vittnar om skada på personligt plan varför det synes finnas anledning att begränsa utrymmet för utländska månggiften. Visserligen kan särbehandling gentemot svenska månggiften i detta avseende tyckas motiverat, men upplösning genom äktenskapsskillnad förefaller mer fördelaktigt för berörda kvinnor. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Brunestam, Clara LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGF03 20202
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
internationell privaträtt (en. private international law), månggiften, ordre public, tvegifte, äktenskapshinder, monogami, jämställdhet, likabehandling
language
Swedish
id
9034237
date added to LUP
2021-02-09 11:53:13
date last changed
2021-02-09 11:53:13
@misc{9034237,
  abstract     = {{In Swedish law, polygamy has been both criminalized and considered an impediment of marriage for a long time. Monogamy, as well as gender equality and equality in general, are fundamental principles in Swedish family law. Polygamous marriages are legal in certain other states due to being considered favorable for both economic and social reasons. Many foreign polygamous marriages that figure in Sweden have been entered in accordance with legal systems allowing only men to enter said marriages.
The main rule concerning foreign polygamous marriages entered while at least one of the spouses had connection to Sweden, is that they are not valid. The regulation is primarily meant to prevent circumvention of Swedish law. Since Swedish law protects monogamy as a fundamental principle the desire to prevent such abuse constitutes a legitimate reason to restrict acceptance. However, it does not motivate complete nullity since Swedish polygamous marriages are instead subject to divorce.
In consequence of the discriminatory character of the polygamous marriages in question, and from a perspective of equality, it has been claimed that the principle of ordre public should be applied in order to consider polygamous marriages without connection to Sweden invalid as well. Furthermore, new legislation has been proposed for the same reasons. However, there is disagreement concerning to what extent individual women are negatively affected. Regarding ordre public only the result in the individual case can be considered, but in the legislative process, general considerations can be made too. Several sources testify to personal harm, wherefore reason to restrict acceptance of foreign polygamous marriages appears to exist either way. It seems legitimate to treat foreign polygamous marriages different in comparison with the Swedish equivalent, but divorce appears more favorable to concerned women.}},
  author       = {{Brunestam, Clara}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Utländska månggiften i svensk rätt - En studie av rättsläget och dess utveckling}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}