Northern Irish court rulings uphold traditional marriage

A High Court judge in Belfast has rejected two attempts to use the judicial system to force Northern Ireland to recognise same-sex marriage. The decisions are a major victory for those who support Northern Ireland's right to support traditional marriage between a man and a woman. In a judgement delivered today, Mr Justice O’Hara held that the rights of a man who entered into a same sex marriage in London in 2014 have not been violated by virtue of the fact that in Northern Ireland he is recognised as instead having a civil partnership. In a separate case he ruled that any legal provision for same-sex marriage was a matter for the Stormont Assembly, noting that judges should not be responsible for changing social policy. More detail on the judgements is available here.