The Council of Grand Justices’ decision to hold a constitutional review on same-sex marriage represents an important breakthrough, but could also be a double-edged sword, marriage equality proponents said yesterday.
“We believe that the justice’s willingness to review this issue is a step forward, because they could have chosen to keep shelving the case and ignoring it,” said Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights secretary-general Chien Chih-chieh (簡至潔) , whose organization has represented long-time gay rights advocate Chi Chia-wei (祁家威) in a renewed suit to overturn legal restrictions on marriage equality.
The council on Friday announced it would broadcast a live debate on Chi’s case next month, and also submitted a request for constitutional interpretation by Taipei City’s Bureau of Civil Affairs.
Prior to the council’s announcement, Chien said that Chi’s case had been shelved for a year-and-a-half due to the failure of at least three of the council’s 17 justices to agree to the review.
Six of the seven justices appointed last year expressed support for same-sex marriage during questioning at the Legislative Yuan.
“The Legislative Yuan announced in December last year that a review of same-sex marriage legislation would start again in April, so the Judicial Yuan’s choice to hold hearings in March is extremely interesting and we trust that it is not a coincidence,” she said, attributing the council’s decision to renewed social debate after the introduction of bills late last year.
“Depending on the social atmosphere, either legislative or judicial legalization is possible at this point, and greater visibility and discussion will make it more likely that one route or the other will succeed,” she said, while adding that the court’s ruling could be a double-edged sword, depending on its content.
“It is not impossible that the court will rule to uphold the constitutionality of the existing laws, but we feel the probability of such a ruling is not great,” she said.
“Next comes the question of what should be done and whether there should be amendments to the Civil Code, or the passage of a separate set of laws guaranteeing the rights of same-sex couples,” she added.
Current debate has revolved around how legal protections for same-sex couples should be bolstered — not whether new measures are required.
Meanwhile, the anti-marriage equality Happiness of the Next Generation Alliance issued a statement calling for the council to first review whether same-sex attraction is innate or a disorder requiring treatment before moving into discussions about constitutionality.
“The court should also consider effects on the public and children’s interests, as well as the possibility of a social, educational and cultural ‘earthquake,’” the group said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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