YELLOWKNIFE, May 30, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Northwest territorial supreme court held a preliminary hearing Friday in a case seeking to legalize homosexual marriage in the Northwest Territories (N.W.T.). The case was brought forward by homosexual activists Jason Perrino and Colin Snow who are seeking a marriage certificate to validate their relationship.
Although legislation seeking to legalize homosexual marriage federally is currently before parliament, Perrino and Snow have said that they don’t want to wait and see if that legislation will pass.
Friday’s hearing was adjourned, however, after pro-family activists Ruby and Laurin Trudel of Yellowknife put in an application for intervener status. Perrino and Colin’s case will not be heard for another three weeks, until after the courts have heard the Trudel’s application. This new development gives hope to traditional marriage advocates that the NWT courts will listen to the voice of reason and stand against the pressure that is being put on them by activist court decisions elsewhere in Canada to legalize same-sex marriage.
Of the thirteen Canadian provinces and territories, only five have not yet overridden their legislature and forced homosexual marriage through judicial fiat. N.W.T., Nunavut, Alberta, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick are the only jurisdictions where homosexual marriage has not yet been imposed by the courts.
Earlier, defenders of traditional marriage were let down by the NWT government which refused to back its laws upholding traditional marriage. NWT justice minister Brendan Bell said last week that the government would not defend the provincial pro-family legislation. “Hypothetically, if the judge rules that the federal legislation is deficient and orders us to issue marriage certificates to same-sex couples then we will abide by that,” he said.
JJ