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Same-sex Marriage In Canada
Same-sex marriage in Canada was progressively introduced in several provinces by court decisions beginning in 2003 before being legally recognized nationwide with the enactment of the ''Civil Marriage Act'' on July 20, 2005. On June 10, 2003, the Court of Appeal for Ontario issued a decision immediately legalizing same-sex marriage in Ontario, thereby becoming the first province where it was legal. The introduction of a federal gender-neutral marriage definition made Canada the fourth country in the world, and the first country outside Europe, to legally recognize same-sex marriage throughout its borders. Before the federal recognition of same-sex marriage, court decisions had already introduced it in eight out of ten provinces in the country and one of three territories, whose residents collectively made up about 90 percent of Canada's population. More than 3,000 same-sex couples had already married in those areas before the ''Civil Marriage Act'' was passed. Most legal benefits ...
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Civil Marriage Act
The ''Civil Marriage Act'' is a federal statute legalizing same-sex marriage across Canada. At the time it became law, same-sex marriage had already been legalized by court decisions in all Canadian jurisdictions except Alberta, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. It was introduced as Bill C-38 in the first session of the 38th Canadian Parliament on February 1, 2005. It passed the House of Commons on June 28, 2005, and the Senate on July 19, 2005. The Act became law when it received Royal Assent on July 20, 2005. As with all federal legislation in Canada, the Act is written in both French and English. Both versions have equal authority. The French title is . Outline of the Act This is the Act's official legislative summary: :''This enactment extends the legal capacity for marriage for civil purposes to same-sex couples in order to reflect values of tolerance, respect and equality, consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It ...
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Same-sex Marriage In Ontario
Same-sex marriage in Ontario has been legal since June 10, 2003. The first legal same-sex marriages performed in Ontario were of Kevin Bourassa to Joe Varnell, and Elaine Vautour to Anne Vautour, by Reverend Brent Hawkes on January 14, 2001. The legality of the marriages was questioned and they were not registered until after June 10, 2003, when the Court of Appeal for Ontario in ''Halpern v Canada (AG)'' upheld a lower court ruling which declared that defining marriage in heterosexual-only terms violated the ''Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms''. Ontario became the third jurisdiction in the world (after the Netherlands and Belgium) as well as the first jurisdiction in the Americas to legalise same-sex marriage. The first legal same-sex marriage registered in Ontario was that of Paula Barrero and Blanca Mejias, married by banns at the Emmanuel Howard Park United Church on September 29, 2001 by Reverend Cheri DiNovo and registered the same year. The Office of the Registrar ...
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Government Of Ontario
The government of Ontario (french: Gouvernement de l'Ontario) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Ontario. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown—represented in the province by the lieutenant governor—is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown-in-Council''; the legislature, as the ''Crown-in-Parliament''; and the courts, as the ''Crown-on-the-Bench''. The functions of the government are exercised on behalf of three institutions—the Executive Council; the Provincial Parliament (Legislative Assembly); and the judiciary, respectively. Its powers and structure are partly set out in the ''Constitution Act, 1867''. The term ''Government of Ontario'' refers specifically to the executive—political ministers of the Crown (the Cabinet/Executive Council), appointed on the advice of the premier, and the non-partisan Ontario Public Service (whom the Executive Council directs), who staff ministries and age ...
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Same-sex Marriage In The Northwest Territories
Same-sex marriage in the Northwest Territories has been legal since July 20, 2005. The Canadian territory began granting marriage licences to same-sex couples upon the granting of royal assent to the federal ''Civil Marriage Act''. The Northwest Territories had been one of only four provinces and territories, with Alberta, Nunavut and Prince Edward Island, where same-sex marriage had not already been legalised by court challenges prior to the passage of the federal law. Legal proceedings In December 2004, Justice Minister Charles Dent stated that the Northwest Territories Government would not issue marriage licences to same-sex couples until a court ruling or federal legislation legalised them. However, he indicated that the territory would not contest any lawsuit on the subject, and would comply with such a ruling or law. On May 20, 2005, a Yellowknife couple, Jason Perrino and Colin Snow, sued the Territorial Government over the right to get married, arguing that refusing the ...
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Same-sex Marriage In Nunavut
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Nunavut since 20 July 2005. The Canadian territory began granting marriage licences to same-sex couples upon the passage of the federal ''Civil Marriage Act''. In October 2003, Premier Paul Okalik announced that same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions would be legally recognized in Nunavut. Background On 30 October 2003, Premier Paul Okalik made the following statement: :"If developments in the Parliament of Canada and the Supreme Court of Canada result in the definition of marriage being broadened, we will respect the law and comply with that. In the meantime, anyone in Nunavut who has been legally married anywhere will be recognized by the Government of Nunavut as married." Okalik further suggested that the territory would perform same-sex divorces should the issue arise. He also succeeded in passing a territorial human rights code banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. As well, Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Liber ...
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Same-sex Marriage In Prince Edward Island
Same-sex marriage in Prince Edward Island has been legal since July 20, 2005. The Canadian province began the process of updating its laws to recognize same-sex marriage after the passage of the ''Civil Marriage Act'' in the House of Commons of Canada. Prince Edward Island had been one of only four provinces and territories, with Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, where same-sex marriage had not already been legalized by court challenges prior to the passage of the law. Background On December 10, 2004, Premier Pat Binns said that his government would wait for federal legislation to resolve the issue. It is unclear how Binns would have reacted if a provincial court had found the heterosexual definition of marriage in violation of the ''Charter'' rights of gays and lesbians. A spokeswoman for a local LGBT group said in June 2005 that the province should legalize same-sex marriage "right away", noting that the island often lacked behind the rest of Canada on the issue of ...
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Same-sex Marriage In Alberta
Same sex may refer to: * A phrase used in the discussion of sex or gender * Gonochorism, the state of having just one of at least two distinct sexes in any one individual organism * Homosexuality, the romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender * Sex segregation, the physical, legal, and cultural separation of people according to their biological sex * Same-sex education, the practice of conducting education where male and female students attend separate classes * Same-sex marriage, the marriage between two people of the same sex * Same-sex relationship, a relationship between two persons of the same sex, in diverse forms See also * Opposite sex (other) Opposite sex may refer to: * A phrase used in the discussion of sex or gender * Dioecy, a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct male and female individual organisms * Heterosexuality, the romantic attraction, sexual attraction ... {{disambigua ...
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Same-sex Marriage In New Brunswick
Same-sex marriage in New Brunswick has been legal since June 23, 2005 in accordance with a ruling from the Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick. This decision followed similar cases in eight other provinces and territories, and pre-dated by only one month the federal ''Civil Marriage Act'' of 2005, which legalised same-sex marriage throughout Canada. New Brunswick became the ninth jurisdiction in Canada to recognise same-sex marriage, and the twelfth worldwide. Background Following a number of court rulings in other provinces and territories recognizing the right of same-sex couples to marry, Attorney General Brad Green announced in September 2004 that New Brunswick would not follow in the footsteps of Nova Scotia in issuing marriage licences to same-sex couples. He argued that the definition is a federal matter, and the province would recognize only marriages between a man and a woman until the Government of Canada comes up with another definition (as it finally did with t ...
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Same-sex Marriage In Newfoundland And Labrador
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Newfoundland and Labrador since December 21, 2004, when the province was ordered by the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples. This decision followed similar cases in seven other provinces and territories, and pre-dated by seven months the federal ''Civil Marriage Act'' of 2005, which legalised same-sex marriage throughout Canada. Newfoundland and Labrador was the eighth jurisdiction in Canada to legalise same-sex marriage, and the eleventh worldwide. Court ruling On November 4, 2004, two lesbian couples who had been denied marriage licences filed a lawsuit, ''Pottle et al v. Attorney General of Canada et al'', against the federal and provincial governments, requesting that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador be ordered to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples. The couples were Jacqueline Pottle and Noelle French, and Lisa Zigler and Theresa Walsh. Newfoundland and Labrador thu ...
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Same-sex Marriage In Saskatchewan
Same-sex marriage became legal in Saskatchewan on November 5, 2004 as a result of a decision of the Family Law Division of the Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench. This decision followed similar cases in six other provinces and territories, and pre-dated by eight months the federal ''Civil Marriage Act'' of 2005, which made same-sex marriage available throughout Canada. Later court decisions have dealt with the issue of marriage commissioners who object to performing same-sex marriages on the basis of their religious beliefs. Saskatchewan became the seventh jurisdiction in Canada, and the tenth worldwide after the Netherlands, Belgium, Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, Massachusetts, Yukon, Manitoba and Nova Scotia, to legalise same-sex marriage. ''N.W. v. Canada (Attorney General)'' In the fall of 2004, five same-sex couples brought an application in the Family Law Division of the Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench, seeking a judgment requiring marriage licence issuers a ...
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Same-sex Marriage In Nova Scotia
Same-sex marriage in Nova Scotia has been legal since September 24, 2004 when the province began issuing marriage licences to same-sex couples immediately following a court ruling from the Nova Scotia Supreme Court. Nova Scotia became the sixth jurisdiction in Canada, and the ninth worldwide after the Netherlands, Belgium, Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, Massachusetts, Yukon, and Manitoba, to legalise same-sex marriage. Background In November 2000, the Nova Scotia House of Assembly approved the ''Law Reform (2000) Act'' (its long title being ''An Act to Comply with Certain Court Decisions and to Modernize and Reform Laws in the Province''), establishing domestic partnerships., ; mic, nikma'jewel, ; Scottish Gaelic: , The act was assented by the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, Myra Freeman, and went into force on June 4, 2001. Domestic partnerships grant cohabiting couples many of the rights and obligations of marriage, including pension benefits, inheritance, and the abi ...
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Same-sex Marriage In Manitoba
Same-sex marriage in Manitoba has been legal since September 16, 2004. In the case of ''Vogel v. Canada'', the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba ordered the province to begin issuing marriage licences to same-sex couples. This decision followed a suit brought by three couples who were denied the right to marry. Both the provincial and federal governments had made it known that they would not oppose the court bid. Manitoba became the fifth jurisdiction in Canada (and the eighth worldwide) to extend civil marriage to same-sex couples, after the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec, and the territory of Yukon. The court said that its decision had been influenced by the previous decisions in B.C., Ontario and Quebec. Court ruling In 1974, couple Chris Vogel and Richard North married in the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Winnipeg, but the government refused to register their marriage. The couple had previously attempted to receive a civil marriage licence in Febr ...
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