Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal The highest court in Hong Kong has granted a transgender woman the right to marry her boyfriend, citing laws in New Zealand and other Asia Pacific nations as a factor in its decision. The Court of Final Appeal ruled in favour of the woman, identified only as W. One of the judges on the five-member panel dissented. W's lawyer, Michael Vidler, said his client was "overjoyed." He read a statement to reporters in which W said after the surgery she has lived her life "as a woman and been treated as a woman in all respects except as regards my right to marriage. This decision rights that wrong." Vidler said the ruling won't take effect for 12 months, giving the government time to change marriage laws. The judges noted that from evidence and submissions received, "it appears in the Asia-Pacific region, such marriages are permitted" in mainland China, Singapore, India, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 14th May 2013 - 10:11am