ABSTRACT
The Nordic countries have a long history of legislative cooperation within family law, where the aim has been to attain the greatest possible uniformity. Family law developments resonate well with core characteristics of Nordic welfare states promoting equality and social security.
The Nordic countries were forerunners in ensuring legal protection for same-sex couples and have adopted progressive laws regarding same-sex families. The legislation is grounded on ideas of equality, recognition and respect with the aim of ensuring rights and modifying values and attitudes. This chapter will explore how the Nordic countries incorporated a general legal framework through the democratic processes and how shared history, culture and norms facilitated the transport of reasoning and legal outcomes. Further the chapter will contemplate links to European policies and how the Nordic acceptance and legitimacy may have played a role in the emergence of shared European legal norms within same-sex family law.
