Friday, July 12, 2002
Ontario court rules that same-sex marriages are legal
A story released today by the CBC News reports that activists celebrated Friday as a panel of judges ordered the Ontario government to register same-sex marriages, the first decision of its kind in Canada.
In a unanimous ruling, the panel of three judges said that prohibiting same-sex couples from marrying violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Some constitutional experts predicted the decision would have a ripple effect across the country.
"Certainly it is an historic decision and it is unprecedented," said Roslyn Levine, counsel to the federal attorney general.
"It means marriage is no longer limited to one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others."
Friday's ruling dealt with two Toronto same-sex couples who had sued the government of Ontario for not accepting their marriages as legally valid.
"We've finally come to the point in this country where all families are going to be treated equal," d said Joe Varnell, one of the people who sued for the right to marry another man. "The courts heard us. They have finally made it clear that this country can't continue to discriminate."
"Some may believe that this is a courageous decision," said the couple's lawyer, Martha McCarthy. "But it is the obvious and correct one."
The Ontario Superior Court has given the government two years to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples. Justice Heather Smith acknowledged that Parliament needs time to redefine "marriage" in applicable legislation.
A ruling against gay marriages in British Columbia is expected to be heard by the Court of Appeal of British Columbia early next year. A judge in Montreal is also to rule on a similar case.
