Ensure justice to queer people

Apex court shuts door on legalising same-sex marriages. Political class must reset the rules

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If there was a semblance of hope for queer people after the Supreme Court had refused to accord legal status to same-sex unions two years ago, that door was firmly shut on Thursday. A five-judge bench, comprising justices Bhushan R Gavai, Suryakant, BV Nagarathna, PS Narasimha and Dipankar Datta, concluded in chamber proceedings that petitions asking for a review of the 2023 Constitution bench verdict lacked sufficient merit. The bench, which comprised only one judge who was part of the 2023 judgment, said it didn't find any error apparent in the earlier decision and said no interference was warranted. More importantly, since this was a unanimous decision of a five-judge bench that confirmed a 3-2 verdict by a Constitution bench, the possibility of a successful curative petition—the only legal recourse left for the petitioners—appears slim.