Canada

Statutes

On April 11, 2000 , Canada 's House of Commons approved a statute that would amend 68 federal statutes to provide to same-sex couples the same benefits afforded, opposite-sex unmarried couples. Act to Modernize Benefits (Bill C-23)

Cases

A decision of the Supreme Court of Canada held that the failure of Canadian law to include same-sex couples in its definition of common-law spouses violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. M. v. H., File No. 25838 (S. Ct. Can. 1999) (for a preliminary analysis of this case, click here).

In Toronto , activists sought a marriage license and the Toronto City Clerk refused. The refusal is being challenged before the Divisional Court , an administrative court with three members.

In a Quebec case, news reports indicate that two long-time activists who were rejected when they sought marriage licenses sued the province alleging that the province had exceeded its authority in limiting marriage licenses to opposite-sex couples and that the limitation violated provincial and federal constitutional guarantees.

In British Columbia an activist group EGALE is seeking to get a judgment that the current marriage law is invalid. In that case, though, the B.C. Attorney General, Andrew Petter, has openly supported the idea of same-sex marriage and has asked for a review of the marriage law by the B.C. Supreme Court. Same-Sex Victoria Couple Plans to Seek Marriage License Vancouver Sun (May 25, 2000)

Halpern v. Attorney General of Canada (2001)