Toronto, June 11: While the federal government was still considering whether to recognise same-sex marriages, Ontario's court of appeal upheld a lower court ruling that found unconstitutional the exclusive definition of marriage as only between a man and a woman. The Ontario court of appeal ruling yesterday, which will take effect immediately, follows a July 2002 Ontario court judgment that ordered parliament to change the definition of marriage because excluding gay men and women violated the Canadian charter of rights and freedoms.
While the federal government defines marriage, Canada's 10 provinces and three territories are responsible for registering the unions.
Ontario is Canada's most populous province, so the Ontario court of appeal ruling is expected to have a lot of sway nationwide.
The city of Toronto, Ontario's capital, issued a statement immediately, saying it "will begin issuing marriage licenses to all those who meet the requirements for a marriage license, including same-sex couples."
Last month, a top court in the western province of British Columbia became the third province, along with Ontario and Quebec, to rule that the federal law against gay marriages was discriminatory. Bureau Report