A new blow for same-sex marriages
published : 18 Nov 2021 at 10:25
newspaper section: News
writer: King-oua Laohong
The Constitutional Court has ruled that Section 1448 of the Civil and Commercial Code, which only allows for a man and a woman to register their marriage, is not against people's constitutional rights, marking a blow for proponents of same-sex marriages.
The ruling, which appeared in a press release published by the court on Wednesday, was handed down in response to a request by the Central Juvenile and Family Court.
The court was seeking an interpretation as to whether Section 1448 runs counter to Sections 25, 26 and 27 of the charter, which guarantees equal civil rights for all citizens.
A female couple identified as Pheomsap Sae-ung and Phuangphet Hemkham sought to legally wed on Feb 14 of last year but saw their case rejected by the registrar citing Section 1448.
They had petitioned the Central Juvenile and Family Court seeking to overturn the registrar's dismissal of their request.
The Constitutional Court's ruling, however, was accompanied by an observation that parliament, the cabinet and other government organisations should draft a law to ensure the rights of all people are equally protected, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
