Same-sex marriage is still banned

SAME-SEX marriages will remain banned in France after the constitutional court said that it was a decision for politicians.

The Conseil Constitutionnel said today in a judgment that the ban conformed to the constitution; politicians could change the law if they felt it was necessary.

Members were acting on a plea from two pacsed women who were looking to give their four children a more secure future.

The inheritance laws are different for pacsed and married couples in that the pacsed partner is not an heir unless this is written into a will.

The constitutional council, known as Les Sages, said that, according French law, a marriage is the union of a man and a woman.

Its ruling comes as a poll in France said that more than half the people in France are in favour of allowing same-sex marriages.

The TNS Sofres poll for Canal+ found that 58 per cent were in favour; previous polls put support in 2006 at 45 per cent and 46 per cent in 2007.