High Court Date Set
The High Court has set down December 2nd and 3rd for a two day hearing on the constitutional validity of the ACT’s marriage laws. The full bench of the court will hear the matter. The early date means that the legislation could be over ruled prior to any couples exchanging vows.
The case will settle around eight questions, primarily asking if there is any authority for state’s to offer legislation in this area, or is the federal government the sole authority.
The earliest date that same sex couples can get married in the ACT is December 7th.
Same Sex Marriage Takes Off in New Zealand
New figures from New Zealand show that the country has struck a tourism draw card with their move to allow same sex marriage. In the latest figures it is revealed that 117 same sex couples wed between August and September with 40 of them coming from overseas.
Rodney Croome, National Convener of Australian Marriage Equality hypothesised that the major of overseas couples were from Australia.
“Given the large number of Australian couples who have told us they intend to marry in New Zealand I can only assume most of the overseas partners who married there in August and September were from Australia.”
“If this is the case, it means about a third of the overall number of same-sex marriages in New Zealand were between Australians.”
“This high proportion is a reminder of how strongly many Austalian same-sex couples desire to marry and how Australian law is driving them overseas, away from family, friends and loved ones, to do it.,” Croome said.
