Iranian council says women can run for presidency News
Iranian council says women can run for presidency

[JURIST] A spokesman for Iran's hard-line Guardian Council [BBC backgrounder] indicated Saturday that women can run in June's presidential election [AFP report]. The council ruling clears up an ambiguous aspect of the Iranian constitution [text] which states that the president must be elected from among political "rejal," an Arabic word that can be interpreted as men or the more gender-neutral political personality. The decision marks a distinct turnaround from the Council's previous insistence on the "male" reading of the word "rejal" and a Council spokesman would not elaborate about the change in interpretation. Reformist parties have welcomed the move. Reuters 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.