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.
‘FRIENDSHIP FLEET’: A CGA official is scheduled to meet with the president of the Pacific nation, while one of the ships is to host a banquet and National Day event Two Coast Guard Administration (CGA) patrol vessels have docked at Malakal Harbor in Palau as part of an expedition exercise and diplomatic visit, during which a senior official is expected to meet with Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr, the agency said yesterday. The two vessels, the 4,000-tonne-class Chiayi and the 1,000-tonne-class Penghu, set sail for Palau from Taiwan last week and arrived on Tuesday at Malakal Harbor, the CGA’s Fleet Branch said in a statement. The journey marks the second time the CGA has dispatched a “friendship fleet” to another country, after it sent its first-ever goodwill fleet, comprising the Hualien and
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) today said that two of its patrol vessels have docked at Palau's Malakal Harbor as part of an expedition exercise and diplomatic visit, during which a senior official is expected to meet with the Palauan president. The two vessels, the 4,000-tonne-class Chiayi (嘉義) and the 1,000-tonne-class Penghu (澎湖), set sail for Palau from Taiwan last week and arrived at Malakal Harbor yesterday, the CGA's Fleet Branch said in a statement. The journey marked the second time the CGA has dispatched a "Friendship Fleet" to another country, after it sent its first-ever goodwill fleet, comprising the Hualien (花蓮)
Had I Not Seen the Sun (如果我不曾見過太陽), a coming-of-age mystery romance, yesterday won best series at the Seoul International Drama Awards in South Korea. The show's producer, Phoebe Ma (麻怡婷), accepted the award on behalf of the production team. "Telling this story was difficult," Ma said. "There were moments when I doubted my strength to keep going, but I never doubted the story itself." Ma went on to thank the cast and crew of the show for making the win possible. Released in two parts on Netflix at the end of last year, the 20-episode drama starred Tseng Jing-hua (曾敬驊) and Alice Ko (柯佳嬿). The
DETAILED PLAN NEEDED: Relocating the airport would affect not just travelers, but also undermine national defense and emergency medical services, a legislator said Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday proposed relocating Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) and turning the site into an artificial intelligence (AI) park, drawing opposition from politicians across party lines. Chiang’s plan would turn the 300 hectares into an AI park featuring tech clusters, residential communities and green space. The industrial cluster would host 200 domestic enterprises, generate NT$12 trillion (US$376.47 billion) in output, and accommodate 65,000 jobs and 35,000 residents, he said. Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said the Executive Yuan was surprised by the announcement, as the Taipei City Government did not discuss the proposal with the central government before making
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