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US Supreme Court to rule on gay marriage cases US Supreme Court to rule on gay marriage cases
(35 minutes later)
The US Supreme Court is to hear arguments on whether gay marriage is legal under the US Constitution, it has announced. The US Supreme Court has agreed for the first time to hear challenges to laws banning gay marriage in the US.
The court will hear challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act (Doma), which defines marriage as between a man and a woman, and California's Proposition 8. The href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/120712zr_3f14.pdf" >court will hear challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act (Doma), which defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment, overturned a law passed in California to allow gay weddings. It will also consider Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment in California that overturned a state law allowing gay weddings.
Both "Prop 8" and Doma have been previously struck down by lower courts. The court is likely to hear the cases in March next year.
A ruling could be issued in June.
Both Proposition 8 and Doma have been previously struck down by lower courts,
'Unfair discrimination'
Backers of the California case argue that voters in the state breached the US Constitution by passing Proposition 9.
They will argue that a state Supreme Court ruling allowing gay marriage to go ahead should stand. No gay weddings are currently allowed in California, pending the outcome of the Proposition 8 case.
Doma, a federal law signed by former President Bill Clinton, has been overturned by four federal courts and two courts of appeal. They said Doma unfairly discriminated against same-sex couples.
President Barack Obama, who backed gay marriage in May, also took the unusual step of announcing that his administration would not back Doma in court.
But the law is supported by Republicans in Congress.
The court was also asked to consider the merits of a challenge to part of a 2009 Arizona law granting marital benefits only to legally married state employees. Gay marriage is not legal in Arizona.
But the nine justices chose not to hear that case, instead opting for the two cases analysts say offer a chance of a broad ruling.