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Same-sex couples could hear 'no' from Saskatchewan marriage officials
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| Contributor | Monsieur |
| Last Edited | Monsieur Jul 06, 2009 07:27pm |
| Category | Proposed Legislation |
| News Date | Jul 06, 2009 07:00pm |
| Description | The Saskatchewan Party government is proposing legislation that would allow the province's marriage commissioners to refuse to perform same-sex marriages.
In a news release Friday, the government said the proposed law would ensure there are other marriage commissioners available to fill in if someone refused to perform the service because it violated his or her religious beliefs.
Provincial Justice Minister and Attorney General Don Morgan said he'll ask the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal for an opinion on whether the proposed legislation would conform with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Two legislative options will be put to the court, he said.
"One would grandfather the existing marriage commissioners that are reluctant or unwilling to perform a same-sex marriage and the second option would grant religious exemption for not only the existing ones, but for future marriage commissioners that would have the same concerns," he said.
Following a series of court decisions in favour of same-sex marriage, the previous NDP government told marriage commissioners that they had to marry gay and lesbian couples, regardless of their personal religious beliefs. |
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