In a ruling that could fundamentally alter the marriage and divorce landscape for same-sex couples across the US, the nation’s Supreme Court has agreed to review a Federal Appeals Court ruling on same-sex marriage. It’s the first time that the Supreme Court has waded into the country’s complex, politically-charged same-sex debate.
The Federal Appeals Court ruling that the Supreme Court will be reviewing is the one that struck down California’s ban on same-sex marriage, on the grounds that, on principle, legislators could not remove rights that had been granted — in this case to same-sex couples — by the State’s Supreme Court.
In reviewing the ruling, The US Supreme Court will also have the opportunity to establish whether same-sex couples have the same constitutional right to marry as heterosexual couples — a position that would bestow same-sex couples in 31 states where such unions are banned with unprecedented legal ammunition.
In addition, the Supreme Court will determine whether Congress has the right to bar same-sex couples from taking advantage of benefits that are available to heterosexuals, such as those related to taxes, pensions, and health benefits.
Source: The Associated Press
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