Taiwan top court rules in favor of gay marriage

A man walks pass a banner read “constitutional interpretation on same-sex marriage violates procedural justice” in front of Judicial Yuan in Taipei on May 24, 2017. Taiwan could become the first place in Asia to legalise gay marriage when a court makes a landmark ruling on whether to allow same-sex unions. AFP

A top Taiwan court ruled in favor of gay marriage Wednesday, a landmark ruling that paves the way for the island to become the first place in Asia to legalise same sex unions.

The court said Taiwan’s current Civil Code, which says an agreement to marry could only be made between a man and a woman, “violated” the constitution’s guarantees of freedom of marriage and people’s equality.

It gave Taiwan’s government two years to implement the ruling.