US: Arkansas attorneys urge judge not to suspend ruling allowing same-sex marriage
Attorneys in the US state of Arkansas are urging a judge not to put a stay on a ruling which struck down a ban on same-sex marriage.
At the weekend, Judge Chris Piazza ruled that the state’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage violated the rights of same-sex couples by defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
The ruling came late on Friday – after county clerks offices had closed for the week – meaning the first marriages were set to take place when they opened today.
Attorney General Dustin McDaniel on Saturday urged Piazza to reconsider his decision not to issue a stay.
Now attorneys acting on behalf of the plaintiffs in the case challenging the ban have urged the Arkansas Supreme Court to deny requests for the ruling to be put on hold.
Around 300 same-sex couples have received marriage licences since the ruling on Friday, however two counties have said they would not issue any more.
The argument given by the attorneys was that irreparable harm would not result from Piazza’s ruling being allowed to stand.
