Sydney
23 March 2003
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Helping the world’s kids to a new start
One in five kids living in poverty
ACU model for rest to follow: Beattie
Transsexual ‘marriage’
Refugees ‘destitute’
Curtain falls on Woomera
Expo peek aids hospital
Call for inquiry into needs of low-paid staff
Catholic Weekly takes a holiday over Easter
Pope’s 25 years in stamps
New mysteries on pocket cards
CD to help East Timorese kids
New Vinnies head wants to ensure best deal for needy
Conference celebrates the faith
Medicare principles ‘must be safeguarded’
Bougainville - after the war is over
Fast and feast in lent
Editorial: The poverty line
Letters: Tabernacle
Conversation: Dr Henry Pang, GP and aid volunteer - Dead people all around ‘changes your life’
Voice of Youth: ‘O’ - what a feeling! We’re Catholics
Plea from the bush: Come and see us
Waverley’s 100 years of ‘bright stars’
Young train as catechists
Lay ministry great, says jubilee priest
Transsexual ‘marriage’
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference “will be watching with considerable interest” what the Federal Attorney-General does regarding the Family Court’s decision to validate a transsexual marriage, says research fellow Dr Warwick Neville.
The court may have opened the door for the recognition of any sort of relationship, he says.
The decision by a Full Bench of the Family Court related to the marriage of “Kevin”, who was born female and “Jennifer”. They have since had two children through IVF.
They won a case in 1999 before a single judge of the Family Court to have their marriage validated, but Federal Attorney-General Darryl Williams appealed the decision.
The full bench ruled against the appeal in a decision that touched on the meaning of marriage and redefined the meaning of “man” to include a “post operative transsexual”.
It also rejected the argument that procreation was a principal purpose of marriage and said that marriage did not need to be consummated to be considered valid.
The Federal Government has made no decision yet on whether it will appeal against the finding. It is still taking legal advice.
Dr Neville says the court has reinterpreted the meaning of marriage.
“The Catholic Church was not involved in the case, but of course we monitored it and we would support an appeal to the High Court in principle,” he said.
“As it stands now this ruling is the most authoritative statement regarding the legal interpretation of marriage.
“An appeal would be based on previous High Court decisions relating to the definition of marriage and whether the interpretation by the Family Court of the definition under the Family Law Act and the Marriage Act is valid.
“This case is not about the success or otherwise of a transsexual surgical operation, but of jurisprudence, or legal principles regarding the definition of marriage per se.”