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In Sweden, surrogate arrangements and their legal effects continue to be controversial. Proposals for legislation have so far failed to reach Parliament. In this situation, case law plays an important role. In 2021, the Swedish Supreme Court delivered two additional rulings on the issue.

On the other hand, rules enabling same-sex couples' joint parenthood have been on the legislative agenda in Sweden since the early 2000's. The numerous law amendments, one adding to another, reflect the legislator's will to promote equality but also hesitation: How far can legislation go in order to abolish differences of treatment, while at the same time safeguarding the child's best interests? Two additional law reforms, carried out in 2022, address these issues.

Familjerätten beskrivs ofta som det mest kulturbundna av alla rättsområden. Familjerätten definierar våra rättigheter och skyldigheter som medlemmar i ett kollektiv, i familjen, i förhållande till de övriga familjemedlemmarna och den anger vad staten förutsätter av oss som samhällsmedborgare i sammanhanget. Den familjerättsliga regleringen formar vår identitet och bestämmer bl.a. vårt civilstånd.

I denna artikel har det valts att fokusera mer på upplösning av äktenskap och den normativa syn som regleringen vilar på än på vägrat erkännande av utländska äktenskap som författaren tidigare analyserat i olika sammanhang.

Combatting marriages by a child has been been on the Swedish legislative agende since the early 2000s. Law amendments have been carried out in 2004, 2014 and 2019, each reform adding new restrictions. This article takes a critical approach to these reforms, with focus on the unpredictability of the outcome, and on the consequences of  legally limping family relations, failing the protective needs of the vulnerable.  

This contribution strives to give an over-all assessment of the continued relevance of women's empowerment in family relations, in particular in cross-cultural and cross-border contextes, and how such empowerment can be achieved. Special attention is given to recent court rulings in Sweden and Europe in general, to EU Regulations, the CEFL Principles for the harmonisation of family law in Europe, and the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The contribution illustrates the necessity in practice, for minority groups, to navigate between different norm systems, beyond State law.    

This survey demonstrates the complex relationship between family law, on the one hand, and faith-based concerns in Sweden, on the other hand. Paradoxes are demonstrated questioning the notion of Sweden as one of the most secular countries in the world.