DOMA challenge to be heard in California News
DOMA challenge to be heard in California

[JURIST] The only remaining challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act [DOMA text] is set to begin today in California. The lawsuit argues DOMA and California's Proposition 22 [text] are violations of a gay couple's civil rights. California only recognizes marriages as between a man and a woman and DOMA allows states to disregard any gay marriages performed in other states. The hearing comes after gay couples in Florida earlier this week dropped similar lawsuits [JURIST report] fearing the US Supreme Court [official website] would reject the case, thereby setting a precedent. The only other same-sex marriage case pending in federal court is in Nebraska, but that is only a challenging a state law. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

South Africa becomes first country on continent to legalize same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriages became legal in South Africa on November 30, 2006 as the country's Civil Union Act, 2006 went into effect, making South Africa the only country on the African continent to legalize same-sex marriage. Read the Civil Union Act, 2006.