Researcher urges same-sex couples law review

The government is being urged to review laws relating to the recognition of same-sex couples after the High Court ruled that it was wrong for the Housing Authority to reject a public housing application from a same-sex couple, RTHK reports.
It follows previous cases where courts ruled that such couples could jointly file a tax return, and have a dependant's visa and other benefits that are accorded to married heterosexuals.
Suen Yiu-tung from the Chinese University's Sexualities Research Programme told RTHK today it would be a waste of public resources for the government to appeal Wednesday's ruling.
"There are already two more judicial review cases in relation to LGBT people's access to public housing in Hong Kong," Suen said.
One was launched in September last year and the other was launched in November last year, he said.
"So if the government does not take a pro-active approach in reviewing all the laws that affect same-sex couples' relationship recognition, there are bound to be more judicial review cases," he said.
On Wednesday, Judge Anderson Chow ruled that failing to class same-sex married couples as "ordinary families" violates Basic Law Article 25, which says Hong Kong residents shall be equal before the law, and Article 22 of the Bill of Rights, which states that everyone is entitled to equal protection against discrimination on any grounds.
However, the ruling was criticised by two prominent pro-government lawmakers, who called on the government to file an appeal.
Holden Chow, a lawmaker from the biggest pro-Beijing party, the DAB, said the government must challenge the High Court’s ruling, as it might undermine traditional family values in the city.
BPA lawmaker Priscilla Leung said she was disappointed with the court ruling and described it as a blow to the heterosexual marriage system in Hong Kong.