The California Supreme Court on Tuesday held a hearing on the constitutionality of the state's ban on same-sex marriage. State justices have 90 days to reach a verdict on whether to strike down the law that limits the definition of marriage to that between a man and a woman.
Seven justices of the high court heard over three hours of legal arguments in the long-awaited showdown between supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage in a packed San Francisco courtroom. The hearing drew nationwide media attention in the United States.
If the court rules against the traditional ban, California will become the second American state after Massachusetts to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
The court was deeply divided on the issue, with one of the judges questioning whether "the state has effectively conceded there is no valid ground for distinction" between domestic partnership and marriage.
At least three of the seven justices repeatedly noted at the hearing that California voters have defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman, and the public might not be ready to embrace same-sex marriage.
The ruling is expected to resolve a lingering dispute that began in 2004, when the city and county of San Francisco married nearly 4,000 same-sex couples.
During Tuesday's hearing, attorneys for same-sex couples and for San Francisco argued that California's marriage law violated equal protection rights and anti-discrimination laws, while lawyers representing the state government and religious groups insisted that cultural tradition justified a ban on same-sex marriage.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article