US: Idaho Supreme Court rules that same-sex couples may adopt children

The Supreme Court in the US state of Idaho has made a broad ruling which should allow same-sex couples to adopt children.

In the case of the adoption of John Doe and John Doe I by Jane Doe and Jane Doe I, the court made a broad ruling which means that couples are not required to be married in order to adopt children.

The decision means that unmarried, including same-sex couples, who meet all other adoption criteria will be eligible to adopt.

A magistrates court had originally ruled that the partner of a lesbian parent could not adopt her children “on the grounds that ‘the petitioner must be in a lawfully recognized union, i.e. married to the prospective adoptee’s parent, to have legal standing to file a petition to adopt that person’s biological or adopted child.’”

But the Supreme Court in the state maintained that: “Idaho’s adoption statutes unambiguously allow a second, prospective parent to adopt, regardless of marital status”:

Advocates of same-sex adoption in the state hope that the ruling will set a precedent for future cases involving same-sex adoption.

• Nov 29

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