The Definition of Marriage and the Fourth Reference
Question
The British Common Law definition
of marriage is:
The union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others
As a result of the ruling of the
Ontario Court of Appeal in 2003, the federal government made a referral to
the Supreme Court of Canada asking
three questions
with regard to the definition of marriage.
The government subsequently added
this fourth question:
Is the opposite-sex requirement for civil marriage purposes, as
established by the common law and set out for Quebec in s. 5 of the Federal
Law - Civil Law Harmonization Act, No. 1, consistent with the Canadian
Charter of Rights and Freedoms? If not, in what particular or
particulars and to what extent
All four questions will be dealt with in the Supreme Court in early
October 2004.
Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario
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