The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on Monday ruled that Attorney General Thomas Reilly did not act illegally when he certified the wording on a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would ban same-sex marriage.
The ruling was the third major setback to gays and lesbians across the country in less than a week.
Massachusetts is the only state where gay marriage is currently legal.
GLAD, the LGBT legal organization that won the right for same-sex couples to wed challenged Reilly’s certification alleging that it violated a constitutional provision which in effect would overturn an existing ruling by the high court – the right to marry.
The Supreme Court said that the provision restricting overturning cases must be narrowly applied and the GLAD case did not fit the requirement.
“There was no error in the Attorney General’s certification of the petition,” the ruling said.
“We remand the case to the county court for entry of a judgment declaring that the Attorney General’s certification of the petition is in compliance with the requirements.”
