Judge Walker to rule on whether gay marriages in California can resume immediately
Chief US District Judge Vaughn Walker, who last week invalidated Proposition 8 which banned same-sex marriage in the state of California, is to rule later today on whether marriages can resume.
The law was passed in November 2008, with just over half of the state’s residents voting in favour of it. When Judge Walker ruled last week that the law was unconstitutional, anti-gay groups were swift to protest and took their grievances to the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Walker agreed to place a stay on his ruling until the outcome of said appeal was decided.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals comprises a mixture of 27 liberal and conservative judges, making it difficult to speculate on the outcome. If the stay is lifted, same-sex couples will be free to tie the knot once again. If not, the ban will prevail.
In the event of the Court deciding in favour of reinstating same-sex marriage rights, the National Organisation for Marriage said they plan to take the case to the Supreme Court.
The outcome of the appeal should be known later today and Judge Walker’s subsequent action along with it.
