Campaigners see hope in Japan same-sex union rulings

A Japanese regional court on Thursday ruled the country's failure to recognise same-sex unions an "unconstitutional situation", offering hope to campaigners who have brought a series of lawsuits with mixed results.

The ruling by the court in southern Fukuoka rounds off the first stage of a coordinated legal battle launched by LGBTQ campaigners in 2019.

More than a dozen couples filed claims in five district courts, seeking damages from the state for preventing them from getting married.

None of the courts upheld the requests for compensation, but judges were split on the question of whether Japan's lack of marriage equality violates its constitution.

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