New Jersey

Statutes

New Jersey Statutes 37:1-1. Certain marriages prohibited. A man shall not marry any of his ancestors or descendants, or his sister, or the daughter of his brother or sister, or the sister of his father or mother, whether such collateral kindred be of the whole or half blood. A woman shall not marry any of her ancestors or descendants, or her brother, or the son of her brother or sister, or the brother of her father or mother, whether such collateral kindred be of the whole or half blood. A marriage in violation of any of the foregoing provisions shall be absolutely void.

Cases

On June 26, 2002, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund filed suit on behalf of seven same-sex couples challenging the constitutionality of New Jersey marriage laws. The lawsuit, filed in Hudson County Superior Court, names the state registrar of vital statistics and seven local clerks and registrars as defendants.

The complaint includes claims that the New Jersey laws violate the plaintiffs right to equal protection of the law and deny plaintiffs their fundamental right to marry. Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund has asked that the case be fast tracked to the state supreme court.

Lewis v. Harris Brief

Websites

Government Website
New Jersey Family Policy Council