Washington D.C., Jun 14, 2005 / 22:00 pm
A New Jersey Appellate Court ruled yesterday that the state Constitution does not include same-sex couples in its definition of marriage.
"The right to marry has always been understood in law and tradition to apply only to couples of different genders. A change in that basic understanding would not lift a restriction on the right, but would work a fundamental transformation of marriage into an arrangement that could never have been within the intent of the Framers of the 1947 Constitution," the court said.
Pat Trueman, senior legal counsel for Family Research Council, called the ruling “an outright rejection of judicial activism and a positive development in the law.”
Founded in 1983, the Family Research Council is a recognized national leader in championing the cause for family and traditional marriage. It filed an amicus brief in support of the New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services.
Family Research Coucil president Tony Perkins said the decision "strengthens the legal battle against same-sex marriage,” but a federal marriage amendment is still very much needed.