Cheers as court in Japan rules against ban on same-sex marriage

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A court in Japan has ruled that the country’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, putting pressure on the government to act.

In 2019, a gay male couple filed the lawsuit after they tried to register their same-sex marriage and were rejected.

The Nagoya District Court this week ruled in their favour, putting pressure on the Japanese government to change the law.

The court stated Japan’s current laws fail to “even provide a framework to protect the relationships of same-sex couples.”

This violates the Constitution’s Article 14, which ensures the right to equality, and Article 24, guaranteeing the freedom of marriage, the ruling said.

The plaintiffs and a crowd of supporters cheered and waved rainbow flags outside the court after the ruling was delivered.

The court can’t force the government to legislate. But advocates say the ruling is a step forward, after two earlier rulings and an unsupportive government.

The ruling comes after an Osaka court last year ruled the ban was not out of step with the constitution.

In November, a Tokyo court also backed the same-sex marriage ban. However, that court said same-sex families’ lack of legal protection violated their human rights.

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