The Taipei High Administrative Court ruled on Thursday that a Japanese man and his Taiwanese partner could register their marriage. It’s the fourth time the court has decided a same-sex couple can marry where one partner is from Taiwan, and the other is from a country that doesn’t recognize gay marriage.
Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage in 2019. But it only allows couples were one partner is a foreigner to register their marriage if the foreign spouse’s country has also approved same-sex unions.
Last year, Eisaburo Ariyoshi and his Taiwanese partner A-Shu tried to register their marriage at a Taipei household registration office. The office rejected them. Thursday’s ruling says that the office must now register the couple, though it can still appeal.
The interior ministry says the registration office was following Taiwanese law when it denied the couple’s marriage request. The ministry says it respects the court’s decision, but it also respects the registration office’s right to appeal. It adds that in order to safeguard marriage equality, it’s working on an amendment to the law.