Two Hong Kong men launch first bids challenging city on same-sex marriage laws
The two separate legal challenges argued the law lacks options for same-sex couples to get married
By Steve Brown
Two Hong Kong men have launched the first legal bids challenging the city for not allowing same-sex marriages.
During a court hearing on Thursday (January 3), it was revealed that a 21-year-old University student known as TF and a 31-year-old activist known as STK submitted two separate legal challenges arguing that the High Court lacked options for same-sex couples to get married.
They both argued that not being allowed to marry violated their right to equality under the city’s Bill of Rights and mini-constitution, that Basic Law, Yahoo reported.
Barrister Hectar Pun Hei SC, who is representing the two applicants, said the Marriage Ordinance and Matrimonial Causes Ordinance were ‘inconsistent’ with the human rights laws because they only recognise marriage between one man and one woman.
Pun argues that the court should reinterpret the definition of marriage as a ‘voluntary union for life of two persons.”
Despite other legal challenges relating to spousal visas and lack of civil partnerships have been submitted to the High Court, this marks the first time the issue at the core was whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.
Currently same-sex marriages is still illegal and the city does not recognise a same-sex marriage.