Japanese court labels nation’s same-sex marriage ban ‘unconstitutional’

A Japanese district court has ruled the nation’s failure to allow same-sex couples to marry is “unconstitutional”.

The decision sets a new precedent in Japan — the only G7 nation not to fully recognise a same-sex partnership — but it has rejected demands to pay damages.

The ruling is the first in Japan on the legality of same-sex marriages and is being seen by advocates as a major symbolic victory in a country where the constitution defines marriage as being based on “the mutual consent of both sexes”.

As it currently stands, a person…