SC to pronounce judgment on legality of same-sex marriages on Oct 17
PTC News Desk: The Supreme Court will pronounce its judgment on whether same-sex marriage should be legally recognised in India on October 17.
Following a 10-day hearing, a constitution bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices S K Kaul, S R Bhat, Hima Kohli, and P S Narasimha reserved the judgment on May 11.
During the hearing, the petitioners, represented by senior advocates like Mukul Rohatgi, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Raju Ramachandran, Anand Grover, Geeta Luthra, KV Viswanathan, Saurabh Kirpal, and Menaka Guruswamy, emphasised the LGBTQIA equality rights in order to obtain State recognition of their unions.
They sought that same-sex marriages be granted legal recognition under the Special Marriage Act (SMA) in order to give dignity to their relationships and ensure the community's access to social security and other welfare benefits.
The Centre has opposed the petition for legal recognition, claiming that India's legislative policy has consciously validated a union only between a biological man and a biological woman and that "it is only for Parliament to decide this issue."
The government agreed to form an inter-ministerial committee led by the cabinet secretary to look into the "administrative steps" that can be taken to ensure certain benefits for same-sex couples even in the absence of legal marriage recognition. However, it urged the constitution bench not to issue any declaration, either of support of any right for same-sex couples or of acceptance of the relationship itself.
- With inputs from agencies
