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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Justin McCurry in Tokyo

Japan court falls short of calling same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional

Japan Fumio Kishida Fukuoka G7 Kyodo Tokyo
Tokyo pride parade in 2019
Tokyo pride parade in 2019. A court in Japan has ruled that the country’s ban on same-sex marriages is ‘in a state of unconstitutionality’. Photograph: Aflo Co. Ltd./Alamy

A court in Japan has ruled that the country’s ban on same-sex marriage is “in a state of unconstitutionality” but fell short of stating it was unconstitutional – a decision that has clouded the debate over LGBTQ+ rights.

Thursday’s ruling by the Fukuoka district court echoed a 2022 decision by a court in Tokyo and is the fifth and final ruling awaited in Japan’s district court system.

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