TORONTO -- A decision last week by an Ontario appeals court to extend full marriage rights immediately to gay and lesbian couples, after two similar though less sweeping recent rulings in Quebec and British Columbia, appears to have given decisive impetus to efforts to make same-sex marriage a reality across Canada.
Dozens of gay and lesbian couples have already rushed to municipal buildings in Toronto, Ottawa and Hamilton to marry without waiting for a decision by Justice Minister Martin Cauchon on whether he will appeal the Ontario court decision to the Supreme Court.
Cauchon's announcement is expected early this week. But even if he does appeal the case or asks for an advisory opinion from the Supreme Court, many legal scholars note that recent rulings by the nation's highest court suggest that it would back the decisions of the three lower courts.
Rev. Colin Mercer | 11/19/2012
