Ottawa, Canada, Oct 6, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The Supreme Court of Canada began its three-day hearings on same-sex marriage today. The court is expected to hear 28 briefs from both supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage.
Opponents of the Liberal government’s same-sex marriage legislation include the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, Focus on the Family, REAL Women and the Attorney General of Alberta.
The Attorney General of Canada, the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the United Church of Canada sit on the pro side. Supporters are confident going in that the Supreme Court will side with them and support a number of lower court rulings in five provinces and one territory that found Canada’s current definition of marriage – as the union of one man and one woman – unconstitutional.
Their confidence was buoyed two days ago, when Justices Rosalie Abella and Louise Charron were sworn in on the Supreme Court. Both Abella and Charron have a track record of decisions in favor of homosexual rights.