Parliament Adjourned Until September

Last night at 1:30 am, Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir postponed Parliament meetings until September, reports Vísir. Members of Parliament settled various cases in the final moments before the summer holidays, such as increased refunds for large film projects.

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Additionally, 54 MPs approved a bill that will alcohol producers in Iceland to sell their products at the production site. The law will take effect at the end of next month.

Earlier yesterday, the Framework Plan was approved for the first time in nine years.

The Prime Minister said last night that although parliamentary sessions are now postponed until the autumn, she reserves the right to convene parliament this summer when the National Audit Office’s report on the controversial sale of the state’s shares in Íslandsbanki is published, which is expected in July.

Natural disasters of unimaginable magnitude

Other issues that were brought up last night included a parliamentary resolution on ecological murder, or ecocide, and a bill that makes it easier for survivors of domestic violence to get a divorce.

The purpose of the proposal is to ensure the legal status of nature so that justice can be executed on its behalf. In an announcement, Andrés Ingi Jónsson, Member of Parliament for Pírata, says that natural disasters of almost unimaginable magnitude are committed every single day by large companies and institutions around the world.

“Our struggle for the recognition of ecocide as a criminal act and its implementation in international and domestic criminal law finally paid off today when the Parliament referred our parliamentary resolution proposal to the government,” says Andrés.

Support for survivors of domestic violence

Survivors can now claim a legal divorce if the spouse confesses to their crime or has been convicted of it, there is information from the police confirming the call for domestic violence, other documents such as a certificate of injury or a psychologist’s assessment indicate that the couple is requesting a divorce, a child living with them has been subjected to violence by the spouse, or an overall assessment of the situation and information for other reasons gives reason to believe that the couple demanding divorce or a child living with them has been subjected to violence by the spouse.

Hanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir, the bill’s sponsor, says this is a great legal remedy for people in a vulnerable position.

“Long-awaited amendments to the marriage law are finally in place after the Parliament approved Viðreisn’s bill that facilitates the divorce process for victims of domestic violence. We at Viðreisn are proud of this issue and grateful for the support,” says Hanna.