Costa Rica ordered to legalise same-sex marriage within 18 months
Costa Rica's Supreme Court has given the country 18 months to change its current law.
Costa Rica’s Supreme Court has ruled against the country’s same-sex marriage ban.
The court ruled that the country’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and discriminatory before giving legislators 18 months to change the current law.
In a press conference on Wednesday (August 8), Supreme Court judge Fernando Castillo said the ban will cease to legally exist in 18 months, even if no action is taken by the legislature.
While many Costa Rican lawmakers are evangelicals and strongly oppose equal marriage, President Carlos Alvarado Quesada, who came to power earlier this year, welcomed the ruling.
He said in a statement: “Our commitment to full equality of rights remains intact. We will continue to boost actions that guarantee no person will face discrimination for their sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The news comes several months after the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) ruled that its member countries, which includes Costa Rica, must grant equal rights to same-sex couples.