{"id":3836,"date":"2013-05-18T10:26:38","date_gmt":"2013-05-18T10:26:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigerian-newspapers\/france-legalizes-gay-marriage\/"},"modified":"2013-05-18T10:26:38","modified_gmt":"2013-05-18T10:26:38","slug":"france-legalizes-gay-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/france-legalizes-gay-marriage\/","title":{"rendered":"France legalizes gay marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"
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France’s president has signed into law a controversial bill making the country the ninth in Europe, and 14th globally, to legalise gay marriage.<\/p>\n

On Friday, the Constitutional Council rejected a challenge by the right-wing opposition, clearing the way for Francois Hollande to sign the bill, BBC reports.<\/p>\n

He said: “I have taken [the decision]; now it is time to respect the law of the Republic.”<\/p>\n

The first gay wedding could be held 10 days after the bill’s signing.<\/p>\n

But Parliamentary Relations Minister Alain Vidalies told French TV he expected the first ceremonies to take place “before July 1″.<\/p>\n

Mr. Hollande and his ruling Socialist Party have made the legislation their flagship social reform since being elected a year ago.<\/p>\n

After a tortured debate, the same-sex marriage and adoption bill was adopted by France’s Senate and National Assembly last month.<\/p>\n

The bill was quickly challenged on constitutional grounds by the main right-wing opposition UMP party of former president Nicolas Sarkozy.<\/p>\n

But the Constitutional Council ruled on Friday that same-sex marriage “did not run contrary to any constitutional principles,” and that it did not infringe on “basic rights or liberties or national sovereignty.”<\/p>\n

It said the interest of the child would be paramount in adoption cases, cautioning that legalising same-sex adoption would not automatically mean the “right to a child.\u201d<\/p>\n

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