Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Latest Issue
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Life
    2. Relationships

    BREAKING: Gay Marriage Law Revoked In Australia

    Australia's highest court has repealed a law permitting gay marriage, leaving some newlyweds with heartbreaking consequences.

    By Jessica Bridgeman
    Published 12 December 2013 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Gay Marriage Law Revoked In Australia
    Gay Marriage Law Revoked In Australia
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Australia's highest court has repealed a law permitting gay marriage, leaving some newlyweds with heartbreaking consequences.

    Australia’s highest court has repealed a law permitting gay marriage, meaning some newlyweds now face having their weddings annulled.

    The unbelievable ruling will cause around 30 same-sex marriages to be virtually void after days of marriage, following the Australian Capital Territory’s passing of the legislation last Saturday.

    But in a shocking turn of events, the federal government argued that the law couldn’t operate alongside the federal Marriage Act, Sky News reports. The Federal Marriage Act in question was amended in 2004 to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. 

    A statement issued by the High Court said: ‘The Marriage Act does not now provide for the formation or recognition of marriage between same-sex couples.

    You may like
    • Side view of a woman sitting in her bedroom - negative emotion - stock photo Their Children Were Taken Into Care. Who Was Looking After the Mothers?
    • Wicker husband: Alexander Skarsgård and Olivia Coleman in the new film Wicker Move Over Regular Men and AI Boyfriends, The “Wicker Husband” Has Arrived
    • Wedding planning I Love My Fiancé, but I Resent the Emotional Labour of Planning Our Wedding

    ‘The Marriage Act provides that a marriage can be solemnised in Australia only between a man and a woman. That Act is a comprehensive and exhaustive statement of the law of marriage.’

    Ivan Hinton and Chris Teoh are among the same-sex couples to have tied the knot since Saturday. 

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Having immediately applied to change their surnamed to Hinton-Teoh, Ivan told Sky News he’d consider Chris his husband anyway: ‘This was an unprecedented and historic opportunity. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.’

    Share your reactions to ruling in the comments box below...

    Got a tablet? You can now download Marie Claire magazine straight to your iPad, Kindle (just search the store for 'marie claire magazine'), Nook or Google Nexus.

    Jessica Bridgeman
    Social Links Navigation
    Read more
    Side view of a woman sitting in her bedroom - negative emotion - stock photo
    Life Their Children Were Taken Into Care. Who Was Looking After the Mothers?
    Wicker husband: Alexander Skarsgård and Olivia Coleman in the new film Wicker
    Relationships Move Over Regular Men and AI Boyfriends, The “Wicker Husband” Has Arrived
     
     
    Wedding planning
    Relationships I Love My Fiancé, but I Resent the Emotional Labour of Planning Our Wedding
    Carrie Bradshaw and Mr Big standing outdoors in Sex and the City, a show that influenced what women expect from men in romantic relationships.
    Relationships “I Expected Men to Be Financial Providers, But Not Emotionally Safe”—What We Ask From Male Partners Has Changed, But Is It For Better or Worse?
     
     
    Latest in Relationships
    Carrie Bradshaw and Mr Big standing outdoors in Sex and the City, a show that influenced what women expect from men in romantic relationships.
    Relationships “I Expected Men to Be Financial Providers, But Not Emotionally Safe”—What We Ask From Male Partners Has Changed, But Is It For Better or Worse?
    Abstract woman portrait in glitch style - stock photo
    Relationships His Girlfriend Died. Eight Years Later, An AI Version Of Her Replied
     
     
    Why We Hold Onto Things From Our Past: A Collection of Sentimental Keepsakes, Old Photographs and Letters
    Relationships Why Is It So Hard to Throw Away Things From Our Past?
    Louise O'Neill started dating at 39 -- here's what she learnt
    Relationships I Started Dating Again at 39. Here Are 21 Things I Learned About Men
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Carrie Bradshaw and Mr Big standing outdoors in Sex and the City, a show that influenced what women expect from men in romantic relationships.
    Relationships “I Expected Men to Be Financial Providers, But Not Emotionally Safe”—What We Ask From Male Partners Has Changed, But Is It For Better or Worse?
    What Lily Loves
    Shopping These Black Leggings Are My Secret to Easy Autumn Style Plus the Celine Loafers I’ll Never Regret Buying
     
     
    Abstract woman portrait in glitch style - stock photo
    Relationships His Girlfriend Died. Eight Years Later, An AI Version Of Her Replied
    Best Treatments for Eye Wrinkles, Dark Circles and Hooded Eyes
    Skincare From Dark Circles to Drooping Lids—An Expert Guide to What Really Works for Every Eye Concern
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.