AFP: France to end legal requirement for spouses to have sex

France is set to abolish the so-called “marital duty” requiring spouses to engage in sexual relations, AFP reports. Lawmakers have drafted a bill stipulating that cohabiting spouses will no longer be legally obliged to have sex.

Currently, French law does not explicitly mention a “marital duty,” but it does require married couples to “live together as a family.” Some judges have interpreted this provision to include an obligation to share a sexual relationship.

In 2019, the Versailles Court of Appeal ruled in favour of a man seeking a divorce because his wife refused intimacy. The decision was upheld by France’s Court of Cassation. However, in January 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) sided with the wife, highlighting that French law reflected outdated views on marital relationships.

If approved by the National Assembly, the bill will move to the Senate and could be enacted by summer 2026.

By Vugar Khalilov