Austria's top court allows same-sex marriage
Source: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
5 DEC 2017
Austria's top court has ruled that same-sex couples can marry from 2019 at the latest, bringing the often conservative Alpine country into line with more than a dozen other European nations.
"The Constitutional Court nullified with a decision on December 4, 2017 the legal regulation that until now prevented such couples from marrying," a statement released on Tuesday said.
It said however that the current rules would remain in place until December 31, 2018 unless Austria's parliament changes the law before then. But a lesbian couple denied the right to marry who brought the case, plus four other couples who also filed a complaint, can tie the knot now, it said.
In April 2001 the Netherlands became the first country in the world to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry in a civil ceremony. Not including Austria, 15 European countries have followed including Belgium, France, Britain (but not Northern Ireland), Ireland and -- since earlier this year -- Germany.
Read more: https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/austrias-top-court-allows-same-sex-marriage-doc-uv96h1
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