Massachusetts high court hears challenge to same-sex marriage law News
Massachusetts high court hears challenge to same-sex marriage law

[JURIST] The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court [official website] Monday heard a bid to restrain same-sex couples from marrying until state residents can vote on a proposed state constitutional amendment [amendment text] banning such marriages. The action was brought by C.J. Doyle, executive director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts. Members of the full court, which heard Monday's bid, were reported as appearing "skeptical" of the petitioner's arguments. Justice Martha Sosman [official profile], who dissented from the court's 2004 legalization of same-sex marriage, stated that until Justice Roderick Ireland's 2003 opinion [opinion text] is proven erronenous, "that's the end of it." While about 5,000 same-sex couples have been married since the Court's ruling was implemented in May 2004, the MA state legislature approved last March a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage. It must be approved by lawmakers once more before it reaches the ballot in November, 2006. AP has more.