{"id":35271,"date":"2025-01-11T19:01:46","date_gmt":"2025-01-11T13:31:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=35271"},"modified":"2025-01-11T19:01:49","modified_gmt":"2025-01-11T13:31:49","slug":"same-sex-marriage-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/11-01-2025\/same-sex-marriage-3","title":{"rendered":"Same Sex Marriage: SC Rejects Review of Judgment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/Social Empowerment; GS2\/Government Policies &amp; Interventions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recently, a <strong>five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court<\/strong> rejected petitions seeking a review of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/18-10-2023\/law-and-custom-on-the-supreme-courts-verdict-on-same-sex-marriage\">judgment <\/a>which refused to <strong>legalise same-sex marriage in India.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Background<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Supreme Court of India, in October 2023, ruled and acknowledged the discrimination faced by same-sex couples &amp; emphasized that such a <strong>decision should be made by Parliament<\/strong>, which is better suited to debate and legislate on this complex social issue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Same-Sex Marriage<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is the practice of marriage between two men or between two women. It has been regulated through law, religion, and custom in most countries of the world.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India does not recognise<\/strong> registered marriage or civil unions for same-sex couples.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Though, same-sex couples <strong>can attain equal rights and benefits as a live-in couple<\/strong> as per a Supreme Court of India judgement in 2022 under part of <strong>Article 21 (the right to life)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Special Marriage Act, 1954:<\/strong> It provides a civil marriage for couples who cannot marry under their personal law.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>However, the Supreme Court of India (in 2023) ruled that the Special Marriage Act (SMA) of 1954 does not apply to same-sex marriages:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The court unanimously agreed that <strong>there is no fundamental right to marry.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The court ruled that the Special Marriage Act, 1954 cannot be amended to include same-sex marriages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The court ruled that same-sex couples cannot form civil unions or adopt.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Arguments in Favour of Same-Sex Marriage in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Equality and Non-Discrimination:<\/strong> Advocates argue that denying same-sex couples the right to marry is a form of discrimination that violates the <strong>principles of equality<\/strong> enshrined in the Indian Constitution.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Legal recognition of same-sex marriage would affirm the dignity and rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Legal and <\/strong><strong>Social Benefits<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> Marriage provides numerous legal and social benefits, including inheritance rights, tax benefits, and social security.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recognizing same-sex marriages would ensure that LGBTQIA+ couples have access to these benefits, promoting their well-being and security.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Improving Mental Health: <\/strong>Legal recognition of same-sex marriages can improve the mental health of LGBTQIA+ individuals by reducing stigma and promoting social acceptance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>International Precedents:<\/strong> Many countries have legalized same-sex marriage, setting a global precedent for equality.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India, as a progressive democracy, could align itself with these international standards by recognizing same-sex marriages.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Global Position on Same Sex Marriages<\/strong><br>&#8211; The <strong>Netherlands was the first country<\/strong> in 2001 to legalise same-sex marriage by amending civil marriage law.\u00a0<br>1. According to the<strong> Council of Foreign Relations<\/strong>, same sex marriages are legal in at least 30 countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada and France.<br>&#8211; Many countries first recognised <strong>same-sex civil unions<\/strong> as the escalatory step to recognise homosexual marriage.<br>&#8211; Most countries in North and South America and Europe have legalised same sex marriage.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Arguments Against Same-Sex Marriage in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cultural and Religious Beliefs:<\/strong> Opponents argue that same-sex marriage is contrary to traditional Indian cultural and religious values.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, as per the customs and beliefs of many communities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Legislative Domain<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> The Supreme Court of India has ruled that the legalization of same-sex marriage <strong>falls within the legislative domain<\/strong>, <strong>not the judiciary.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It means that any change in the law should come from Parliament, reflecting the will of the people.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social Readiness:<\/strong> Some argue that Indian society is not yet ready to accept same-sex marriages.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They believe that legalizing same-sex marriage could lead to social unrest and backlash from conservative sections of society.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Alternative Legal Recognition:<\/strong> Instead of marriage, some suggest that civil unions or domestic partnerships could provide legal recognition and rights to same-sex couples without altering the traditional definition of marriage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Review Petition in the Supreme Court of India<\/strong><br>&#8211; It is a <strong>legal remedy<\/strong> available to a party who seeks to challenge a judgment or order passed by the Supreme Court.<br>&#8211; It is filed under <strong>Article 137 of the Constitution of India<\/strong>, which grants the Supreme Court the power to review its own judgments or orders.<br>1. This power is however <strong>subject to the Rules made by the Supreme Court<\/strong> <strong><em>(under Article 145)<\/em><\/strong>, as well as the provisions of any law enacted by Parliament.<br><strong>Grounds for Filing:<\/strong><br>1. An error apparent on the face of the record;<br>2. Discovery of new and important information;<br>3. Any other sufficient reason.<br>&#8211; <strong>Who can file:<\/strong> Anyone aggrieved by a ruling can file a review petition, not just parties to the case.<br>&#8211; <strong>Time Limit: <\/strong>Must be filed within 30 days from the date of the judgment or order sought to be reviewed.<br>&#8211; <strong>Procedure<\/strong>: Review petitions are always heard by the same Bench that delivered the original judgment.<br>1. If judges on the original Bench have retired, the Chief Justice will use his\/her discretion to replace them.<br>&#8211; <strong>Outcome<\/strong>: The Supreme Court may either accept or reject the review petition.<br>1. If accepted, the court may modify, reverse, or affirm its original judgment or order.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Implications of Dismissal of the Review Petitions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It means that same-sex couples in India will continue to lack legal recognition for their relationships.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The court\u2019s decision underscores the need for legislative action to address the rights and recognition of same-sex couples.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Until then, the LGBTQIA+ community remains dependent on the government\u2019s policy and legislative wisdom.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/same-sex-marriage-supreme-court-dismisses-petitions-seeking-review-of-october-2023-judgement\/article69081871.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Recently, a five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court rejected petitions seeking a review of a judgment which refused to legalise same-sex marriage in India.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35271"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35272,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35271\/revisions\/35272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}