(Photo: Creative Commons)

A Czech court has struck down the country’s ban on gay people adopting children – though only for individuals.

The country had maintained a law that outlawed gays and lesbians who are in registered partnerships from adopting children, either together or as an individual.

However, the Czech Constitutional Court has overturned a law which banned individual gays and lesbians living in a registered partnership from adopting children.

In a ruling yesterday, the court found that it was discrimination to ban individuals in registered partnerships from adopting, as that right was afforded to single people regardless.

However, the court’s ruling keeps a ban on same-sex partners adopting children together – meaning that while individuals can adopt within partnerships, partners cannot gain joint parenting rights.

The Czech Republic’s Parliament had introduced registered partnerships in 2006, passing a law which grants some limited rights to same-sex partners – including the right to inheritance and health care.

However, registered partnerships are limited in the rights they grant compared to civil unions operated elsewhere, and well short of equal marriage.

It is the latest in a string of rulings around the issue.

Last year, a court granted citizenship to the children of a same-sex couple who were adopted in the US.

The married gay couple, one of whom is Czech and one of whom is French, had adopted the children as babies in San Francisco, and were worried about their citizenship status before the ruling.

The Czech father said: “Now we can be granted Czech citizenship, thanks to which we can move to the Czech Republic.

“Our travelling across Europe will be easier and the boys will have their door to Czech schools open.

“The twins feel very well in the Czech Republic and they would like to stay here.”