Japan high court rules same-sex marriage denial unconstitutional

The Nagoya High Court on Friday became the fourth high court in Japan to rule the country's lack of legal recognition of same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, but upheld a lower court decision to reject a damages claim by plaintiffs.The court judged the marriage ban violates sections of the Constitution that guarantee equality under the law and uphold individual dignity and the essential equality of both sexes.The current civil law provisions provide "a discriminatory legal treatment based on sexual orientation that lacks a rational basis," said Presiding Judge Nobuhiro Katada.The central …READ FULL ARTICLE