The Delhi High Court has joined up separate legal cases appealing for India to recognize same-sex marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act, the Special Marriage Act and the Foreign Marriage Act.
It’s another step towards the court ruling on whether same-sex couples can marry in the world’s largest democracy. While the Delhi High Court only hears appeals for part of India, the ruling will likely affect the whole country.
Under Indian law, state high court rulings apply nationwide unless another high court has ruled the opposite way. It would take India’s Supreme Court to overrule them.
Advocate Ragav Awasthi, representing the LGBT+ petitioners, told the court that the language in the Hindu Marriage Act is gender neutral.