Minister of Home Affairs v Fourie

Minister of Home Affairs v Fourie
Minister of Home Affairs and Another v Fourie and Another; Lesbian and Gay Equality Project and Others v Minister of Home Affairs and Others
Court Constitutional Court of South Africa
Full case name The Minister of Home Affairs and the Director-General of Home Affairs versus Marié Adriaana Fourie and Cecelia Johanna Bonthuys; the Lesbian and Gay Equality Project and Eighteen Others versus the Minister of Home Affairs, the Director-General of Home Affairs and the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development
Date decided 1 December 2005
Citation(s) [2005] ZACC 19, 2006 (1) SA 524 (CC), 2006 (3) BCLR 355 (CC)
Judge(s) sitting Chief Justice Langa, Deputy Chief Justice Moseneke, Justices Mokgoro, Ngcobo, O'Regan, Sachs, Skweyiya, van der Westhuizen, Yacoob
Case history
Prior action(s) [2002] ZAGPHC 1, unreported (18 October 2002), Pretoria High Court; [2003] ZACC 11, 2003 (5) SA 301 (CC), 2003 (10) BCLR 1092 (CC) (31 July 2003), Constitutional Court (application for direct access denied); [2004] ZASCA 132, 2005 (3) SA 429 (SCA), 2005 (3) BCLR 241 (SCA) (30 November 2004), Supreme Court of Appeal
Case opinions

The common-law definition of marriage and section 30(1) of the Marriage Act are inconsistent with the Constitution, and therefore invalid, to the extent that they do not allow to same-sex couples the status and benefits allowed to opposite-sex couples. (Unanimous.)

The declaration of invalidity is suspended for twelve months to allow Parliament to correct the defects. (8:1, O'Regan J dissenting.)
Keywords
LGBT rights, same-sex marriage

Minister of Home Affairs and Another v Fourie and Another; Lesbian and Gay Equality Project and Others v Minister of Home Affairs and Others (commonly referred to as Minister of Home Affairs v Fourie)[1] is a decision of the Constitutional Court of South Africa declaring a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. This made South Africa the fifth nation in the world to recognize such a right, after the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and Canada. The case was heard on May 17, 2005, with judgment handed down on December 1. The majority judgment was authored by Justice Albie Sachs.

Contents

Facts

The case concerned a challenge to the constitutionality of the common-law definition of marriage as "a union of one man with one woman, to the exclusion, while it lasts, of all others"[2], as well as the wording of the marriage formula in the Marriage Act: "lawful wedded wife/husband."[3]

Judgment

The nine judges hearing the case agreed unanimously that same-sex couples were entitled to marry, but they disagreed as to the remedy. The majority held that the legislature had one year to rewrite the Act in conformity with its decision; otherwise the ruling would alter the statute. Justice Kate O'Regan, the lone dissenter in part, thought the statute should be altered immediately.

The court's finding was based on section 9 of the Constitution of South Africa, particularly on the right to equal protection and benefit of the law in section 9(1) and the explicit prohibition on discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation, in section 9(3). The infringement by the Act of the dignity and equality of homosexuals was found to unjustifiable insofar as it prevented same-sex couples from enjoying the same status, rights and duties as heterosexual marriages.

The court noted that South Africa has a multitude of family formations that are evolving rapidly as society develops, so that it is inappropriate to entrench any particular form as the only socially and legally acceptable one. There is an imperative constitutional need to acknowledge the long history in South Africa and abroad of marginalisation and persecution of gays and lesbians, although a number of breakthroughs have been made in particular areas. The court also found that there is no comprehensive legal regulation of the family law rights of gays and lesbians, and that the Constitution represents a radical rupture with a past based on intolerance and exclusion, and the movement forward to the acceptance of the need to develop a society based on equality and respect by all for all. The Court pointed out that what was at issue was the need to affirm the character of the society as one based on tolerance and mutual respect.

See also

References

Cases

  • Minister of Home Affairs and Another v Fourie and Another; Lesbian and Gay Equality Project and Others v Minister of Home Affairs and Others [2005] ZACC 19, 2006 (1) SA 524 (CC), 2006 (3) BCLR 355 (CC)

Statutes

Notes

  1. ^ 2006 (1) SA 524 (CC).
  2. ^ Mashia Ebrahim v Mahomed Essop 1905 TS 59
  3. ^ s 30(1).

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Minister of Home Affairs v. Fourie — is a case decided by the Constitutional Court of South Africa declaring a constitutional right to same sex marriage. This made South Africa only the fifth nation in the world to recognize such a right, after The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and… …   Wikipedia

  • National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality v Minister of Home Affairs — National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality and Others v Minister of Home Affairs and Others Court Constitutional Court of South Africa Full case name The National Coalition for Gay …   Wikipedia

  • Fourie — may refer to: * Fourie surname, a common South African surname originating from French Huguenot settlers.Others*Minister of Home Affairs v. Fourie, a South African law case which ended in the legalisation of same sex marriage in South Africa …   Wikipedia

  • National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality v Minister of Justice — National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality and Another v Minister of Justice and Others Court Constitutional Court of South Africa Full case name The National Coalition for Gay and …   Wikipedia

  • Du Toit v Minister of Welfare and Population Development — Du Toit and Another v Minister of Welfare and Population Development and Others Court Constitutional Court of South Africa Full case name Suzanne du Toit and Anna Marié de Vos versus th …   Wikipedia

  • National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality and Another v. Minister of Justice and Others — CCT 11/98 (1998) is a South African Constitutional Court case decided on October 9, 1998 that resulted in a landmark decision regarding sodomy laws. Basing itself on South Africa s 1996 post apartheid Constitution which was the first Constitutio …   Wikipedia

  • Same-sex marriage in South Africa — Legal recognition of same sex relationships Marriage Argentina Belgium Canada Iceland Netherlands Norway Portugal South Africa Spain Sweden …   Wikipedia

  • Civil Union Act, 2006 — Act to provide for the solemnisation of civil unions, by way of either a marriage or civil partnership; the legal consequences of civil unions; and to provide for matters incidental thereto. Citation …   Wikipedia

  • Status of same-sex marriage — The current status of same sex marriage changes nearly on a daily basis as legislation and legal action takes place around the world. Summarized in this article are the current trends and consensus of religions and political authorities… …   Wikipedia

  • Lesbian and Gay Equality Project — The Lesbian and Gay Equality Project (LGEP), formerly known as the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality (NCGLE), is a non profit, non governmental organization in South Africa that focuses on the expansion of LGBT civil rights in South …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”