Press Release June 6th 2012

Senator Katherine Zappone and her partner Dr. Ann Louise Gilligan will be issuing a fresh legal challenge in their fight to be married under Irish law. The new challenge will test the provisions of the Civil Registration Act 2004, and Civil Partnership Act 2010, which prohibit marriage for same-sex couples.

“It became clear to us that, even if we succeeded with our original case, the provisions within the Civil Registration Act and the Civil Partnership Act would remain,” Katherine Zappone said today. “So it became imperative to shelve our Supreme Court appeal and proceed to challenge this Act before the High Court.”

The main point of the original case was the issue of whether the right to marry under the Irish Constitution extends to people of the same sex.

The new challenge will be heard in the High Court.