By paNOW Staff

Province to uphold Sask. court decision

Jan 18, 2011 | 9:42 AM

Marriage commissioners across the province will be getting a letter from the government today.

The Saskatchewan government will not to challenge the decision by the Court of Appeal that states commissioners must perform all marriages.

That is despite some who have previously denied same-sex couples on religious grounds.

The government looked into the opposition and ruled there is nothing they can do, said Don Morgan, the provincial justice minister.

The province won't take the issue to the Supreme Court of Canada, he said.

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While reviewing last week’s decision, officials found a system in Ontario, which assigns a marriage commissioner to ceremonies, Morgan said. But, he said this system runs the risk of also bringing them back to court.

“Given the big decision that has come down with a lot of clarity in it I suspect that other provinces may well be revising how they conduct marriages,” Morgan said.

The Ontario model currently sends all couple to a central office, allowing accommodation to commissioners who don’t' want to perform same-sex ceremonies — it would be direct violation of the ruling that commissioners must marry all couples.

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