tinyurl.com/4w7bo -> www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/08/samesex-cotler041208.html
Ottawa to move quickly on same-sex unions: Cotler Last Updated Thu, 09 Dec 2004 04:18:53 EST OTTAWA - Federal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said Wednesday he expects the Supreme Court to uphold the federal government's same-sex marriage l egislation when it offers its opinion Thursday morning.
Federal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler (CP file photo) The court is expected to rule on proposed legislation that would make Can ada among the first countries in the world to recognize same-sex marriag e Following a ruling by the Ontario Court of Appeal in June 2003 allowing s ame-sex unions, then prime minister Jean Chrtien announced the federal government was drafting a bill to make the marriages legal. Marital status is a provincial responsibility, but the definition of marr iage is a federal reponsibility. Ottawa proposed changing the definition of marriage to the "lawful union of two persons to the exclusion of all others" rather than the "lawful u nion of one man and one woman." Before taking it to Parliament, Chrtien referred the proposed bill to th e Supreme Court, asking the justices to offer a non-binding opinion on t he following: * Whether Parliament has the legal right to define marriage. If the court rules in its favour, Cotler said the Liberal government woul d move fast to make the unions legal across the country, introducing the legislation in Parliament as early as this month. "We expect that the two foundational principles namely of equality rights and religious freedom will be sustained," said Cotler, speaking after a Liberal caucus meeting. "And therefore based on these Charter principles we will move ahead ... w ith all deliberate speed to introduce legislation which will extend civi l marriage to gays and lesbians." The Liberals hold a thin minority government, with 134 of the 308 seats i n the House of Commons, but should have the support of most of the 19 Ne w Democrat MPs and 54 Bloc Qubcois MPs Along with Ontario, same-sex marriage is legal in British Columbia, Quebe c, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Manitoba and the Yukon.
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