British Court Hears Gay Marriage Case

[davidinalameda]

http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/08/080805ukWed.htm

A British court this week will hear a case that could result in the UK recognizing the same-sex marriages of couples wed in those countries were they are legal.

Celia Kitzinger, 48, and Sue Wilkinson, 51, were married in British Columbia in 2003 and want that marriage recognized at home. The High Court will hear their case on Friday.

Kitzinger and Wilkinson say that if the court rules against them they will go to the European Court of Human Rights.

[xchrom]

1. there is no logical reason to deny them.

that doesn't mean they won't -- just that there's no reason to.

[tjwmason]

2. There sort of is a reason.

English law specifically defines marriage as one man and one woman - British courts cannot overturn laws in the same manner as U.S. ones. The law is whatever Parliament says it is, and for ages it has said it is heterosexual marriage only.

The European Court of Human Rights can't really do much either, if they rule in favour of the couple all that will happen is that the British government will be in breach of the court (which is probably already the case in many many different areas).