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Votes Exist to Pass Marriage Equality in Japan: Report
A ruling from the Fukuoka High Court last week is putting pressure on legislators to act.
Constitutional rights of its citizens. Does that mean marriage equality might become law? According to one report, the votes exist to pass it now, thanks to the results of October’s House of Representatives election.
Last week, the High Court in Fukuoka ruled in a case brought by three same-sex couples against Fukuoka and Kumamoto Prefectures.
The Court ruled that preventing the couples from marrying violated the 13th Amendment of Japan’s Constitution — specifically, the plaintiff’s right to happiness, and that “no reason exists any longer” to deny them this right. It also said the denial violated the equal treatment clause of the 14th Amendment and the individual dignity protection clause of the 24th Amendment.
This case had been tried before In a lower court, which yielded a weaker ruling that the government was in a “state of unconstitutionality” by denying marriage rights to same-sex couples.
Other courts in Sapporo and Nagoya have also declared the restriction unconstitutional. However, the Fukuoka High Court’s strong language is seen as an extraordinary ruling that puts extra pressure on Japan’s central government to move on passing a marriage equality law.
