THE UK’S SUPREME Court has rejected an application to appeal a ruling paving the way for adoption by same-sex couples in Northern Ireland.
The application was being sought by Stormont’s health minister Edwin Poots following an appeals court decision in June which had upheld an earlier decision by Belfast High Court.
In statement this evening the court said that it had refused permission to appeal the Court of Appeal’s decision in this matter:
“The Supreme Court issued an order on 22 October 2013 application did not satisfy the criteria of raising an arguable point of law of general public importance,” read the decision.
Current laws in NI mean a single gay or lesbian person can be allowed to adopt children, but couples in civil partnerships are not allowed to do so.
Last October a Belfast had rejected a 1987 adoption law that discriminated against unmarried and same-sex couple.
Other parts of the United Kingdom already permit gay and unmarried heterosexual couples to adopt children.
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