Hong Kong court ruling paves way for potential legalization of same-sex marriage

Hong Kong’s top court ruled that the government should provide a framework for recognizing same-sex partnerships on September 5 following a five-year legal battle by a prominent local activist.

As reported by the South China Morning Post, although the ruling does not grant full marriage rights to same-sex couples, it is recognized as a partial victory for prominent pro-democracy activist Jimmy Sham, who has been involved in a legal battle over the recognition of his same-sex marriage registered in New York. He has been arguing, that Hong Kong’s laws, which don’t recognize foreign same-sex marriage, violate the constitutional right to equality.