Breaking: Australia High Court Kills Same-Sex Marriage

[Fearless]

For a few brief days the capital of Australia had same-sex marriage. Couples traveled thousands of miles across the continent to take advantage of a tenuous same-sex marriage law, knowing it could last forever, or until today. It lasted until today.

Stephen Dawson married Dennis Liddelow 0n Saturday, as the above image shows. Their marriage is no longer legally valid.

The Australian High Court about an hour ago in a unanimous decision struck down a law allowing same-sex couples to marry in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The law was passed in October, and had become effective last week. Twenty couples had been married under the law.

“The High Court determined that the federal parliament has the power under the Australian constitution to legislate on same-sex marriage, and that whether or not same-sex marriages are legalised is a matter for the federal parliament,” according to The Australian.

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/breaking-australia-high-court-kills-same-sex-marriage/marriage/2013/12/11/80119

[joeybee12]

1. Very limited information, but I assume the law pwas paased by some territorial authority,

like a state here, and the court says the feds have to okay it...either way, this sucks.

[DemocraticWing]

2. Pretty much.

Also, the fact that it was a law passed in a territory instead of a state (Australia has both) presented further legal authorities. Territories (and maybe even states) presumably do not have the power to grant marriages in the way that states in the USA do.

[uriel1972]

3. Not a great day for us Aussies in my opinion...

But for some in Australia, it presents as a major victory.