HALIFAX, Apr 27 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Last week, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruled that the province’s Matrimonial Property Act, which defines a “spouse” as a married person, violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms since it does not include unmarried partners. The case was initiated by a Susan Walsh who lived with her boyfriend Wayne Bona about ten years and bore two children with him.
The National Post reports that the three-judge panel did not as yet redefine “spouse”, but has suspended its decision for a year, pressuring the province to provide marriage benefits to unmarried couples. Justice Edward Flinn, contradicted Supreme Court of Canada rulings as he wrote that married couples deserve no special recognition. “The MPA perpetuates the view that unmarried partners are less worthy of recognition, or value, as human beings or as members of Canadian society, equally deserving of concern, respect and consideration,” he wrote in the ruling.
Contact Information:
Nova Scotia Premier John Hamm
[email protected]