A Japanese court became the second in the nation to rule that the same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional.
According to Japan Today, the Nagoya District Court ruled that the ban was unconstitutional after reviewing a case brought by a male couple. It, however, rejected a request that the government pay them each 1 million yen as compensation for the discrimination they face.
“This ruling has rescued us from the hurt of last year’s ruling that said there was nothing wrong with the ban, and the hurt of what the government keeps saying,” lead lawyer Yoko Mizutani told journalists, according to Reuters.
Mitzutani was referring to a ruling from an Osaka court the previous year that found the ban was in line with the constitution.
According to Japan Today, the court found the ban violated the Constitution’s Article 14, which ensures a person’s right to equality. It also ruled that the ban violated the freedom of marriage guaranteed by Article 24.
Activists hope the ruling will put pressure on the government to change the law, which currently states that marriage is between a man and a woman.
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