(Update) Tokyo High Court Rules Same-Sex Marriage Denial Unconstitutional

   Tokyo, Oct. 30 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo High Court ruled Wednesday that Japan's Civil Code and other provisions that do not recognize same-sex marriage are unconstitutional as they violate equality before the law, which is guaranteed by the country's Constitution.
   Tokyo High Court Presiding Judge Sonoe Taniguchi said the provisions "discriminate (against same-sex partners) based on their sexual orientation."
   The court, however, dismissed the demand for compensation from seven plaintiffs who live in Tokyo, the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa and Germany. They demanded that the state pay each plaintiff 1 million yen in damages, claiming that the provisions violate the constitutional guarantee of freedom of marriage and equality under law.
   It was the second high court ruling on a series of similar lawsuits filed with five district courts in Japan over the provisions.
   Sapporo and Nagoya district courts found that the provisions are unconstitutional, while rulings by Tokyo and Fukuoka district courts found them to be in a state of unconstitutionality. Osaka District Court ruled that the provisions are constitutional.

(2024/10/30-18:29)

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