An Osaka court has rejected arguments raised by three same-sex couples who are part of a series of lawsuits brought by activists seeking equality.
“From the perspective of individual dignity, it can be said that it is necessary to realize the benefits of same-sex couples are publicly recognized through official recognition,” the court said.
But the court said it “does not consider” the current lack of recognition to be a violation of the constitution, saying “there has been no public debate about what system would be appropriate.”
This court ruling comes after a Sapporo court ruled last year that failing to recognize same-sex marriage in Japan was unconstitutional, a verdict celebrated by LGBTI activists.
Japan’s constitution stipulates that “marriage can only be with the mutual consent of both sexes.”
In recent years, local authorities in the country have moved to recognize same-sex unions, but without giving them the same guarantees as marriage.
The entrance Gay marriage suffers setback in Japan was first published in diary TODAY.
