Hong Kong court upholds marriage law

As the semi-autonomous territory of China wrestles with social and political upheaval, one thing will remain the same for now: the definition of marriage. The Hong Kong Court of First Instance ruled Friday that the government has no obligation to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples or establish a legal basis for civil unions.

Why is Hong Kong protecting marriage? The court said it expressed “no view on the associated social, moral and/or religious issues” and that it was taking a strictly legal approach to the issue, Reuters reported. Courts in Hong Kong have ruled to allow immigration visas, spousal benefits, and joint tax filing for same-sex couples married abroad. The plaintiff in the case, a lesbian identified as “MK,” can appeal to higher courts in Hong Kong.

Dig deeper: Read Onize Ohikere’s report in The Sift about how Taiwan became the first Asian country to allow same-sex marriage earlier this year despite a public referendum against it.