Northern Ireland: court finds no ‘right’ to same-sex marriage
August 22, 2017
Northern Ireland’s highest court has dismissed the argument that European law requires legal recognition of same-sex marriage.
The court rejected arguments that the recognition of same-sex unions is a fundamental human right. The court said that the legislature has the power—but not an obligation—to change marriage law to include recognition of same-sex couples.
The Northern Ireland Assembly had voted in November 2015 to accept same-sex unions. But the Democratic Union Party (DUP)—historically aligned with Protestants in the region—blocked the measure from becoming law. Arlene Foster, the leader of the DUP, has vowed to resist pressure to change the law, as she has also vowed to retain tight legal restrictions on abortion in Northern Ireland.
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