[JURIST] Costa Rica's Supreme Court has upheld [press release] a law forbidding same-sex marriage [JURIST news archive], rejecting arguments that the law is unconstitutional. Hearing a lawsuit brought by lawyer Yashin Castrillo Fernandez, the court's Constitutional Chamber [official website] voted 5-2 to reject the argument that the same-sex marriage ban violates the principles of equality and autonomy expressed in Article 28 of the Costa Rican Constitution [text]. The court said that marriage is historically understood to be limited to opposite-sex couples, but Chief Justice Luis Fernando Solano [official profile] suggested that the Legislative Assembly [official website] could pass a law establishing civil unions for same-sex couples in the Central American nation, which is three-quarters Roman Catholic.

Castrillo told reporters he would take his case to the Inter-American Court for Human Rights [official website]. CNA has more. From Costa Rica, La Nacion has local coverage.