SC golf equipment, transfers to itself all pleas pending earlier than totally different HCs on same-sex marriages

New Delhi: The Supreme Court docket on Friday clubbed and transferred to itself all petitions pending earlier than totally different excessive courts throughout the nation on the problem of grant of authorized recognition to same-sex marriages.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala requested the Centre to file its joint reply to all of the petitions on the problem by February 15 and directed that every one the petitions will likely be listed in March.

The bench mentioned any petitioner, if not obtainable to argue bodily earlier than the courtroom, can avail the power of digital platform.

It requested the counsels from the Centre and petitioners to file a written observe on the problem, legal guidelines and precedents, if any, and share it amongst themselves and the courtroom.

The bench requested the counsel for the Centre to make sure that no petitioner is omitted and particulars of all of the petitions be integrated within the compilations to be made.

Solicitor Common Tushar Mehta advised the bench that there are two choices obtainable for the courtroom as a petition is ripe for listening to earlier than the Delhi Excessive Court docket and the highest courtroom might await its verdict or it will possibly switch all of the petitions to itself.

The counsels for a number of petitioners advised the bench that they need the highest courtroom to switch all of the instances to itself for an authoritative pronouncement on the problem and Centre can file its response earlier than the highest courtroom.

On January 3, the highest courtroom had mentioned that it will hear on January 6 the pleas looking for switch to the apex courtroom of the petitions pending earlier than excessive courts for recognition of same-sex marriages.

On December 14 final 12 months, the highest courtroom had sought a response from the Centre to 2 pleas looking for switch to the apex courtroom of the petitions pending within the Delhi Excessive Court docket for instructions to recognise same-sex marriages.

Previous to that, on November 25 final 12 months, the apex courtroom had sought the response of the central authorities to separate pleas by two homosexual {couples} looking for enforcement of their proper to marry and a path to the authorities to register their marriage underneath the Particular Marriage Act.