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Assess The Effectiveness Of The Legal System Essay

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Assess The Effectiveness Of The Legal System Essay
Assess the effectiveness of the legal system’s attempts to protect the rights of same-sex couples

The Legal System has been relatively effective in protecting the rights of same sex couples when approaching the legal issues of equality, enforceability and protection and recognition of individual rights.

As society evolves it grows in diversity and acceptance to which regard the legal system must change to better serve societies needs and values. With reference to this the legal system’s approaches to protect and recognise the rights of same sex couples in relation to same-sex marriage has proven to be ineffective. Whilst there has been reform through the Corbett v Corbett 1970 (One of the couple had undergone a sex change operation so the courts reformed the sex requirement from birth certificate to the
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Adoption for same-sex couples has been available since 2010 in NSW. Australia’s first legal gay adoption took place in western Australia June 2007 but the federal government under Prime Minister John Howard moved to pass a legislation not to recognise adoptions taken place overseas by same-sex couples. The Adoption Act 2000 provided equality in adoption in same-sex adoption stating “Two persons who are a couple may, subject to this Act adopt a child’. However the legislation has not stopped discrimination The Australian Christian Lobby, formed in 1995, and the Catholic Australian Family Association, formed in 1980, strongly opposes same-sex rights such as adoption and marriage. It is through their influences that the struggle to protect the rights of same-sex couples and provide the couples equality before the law being hindered. The Legal system’s approach to protecting the rights of same sex couples have been effective in regards to adoption although there are yet areas to reform to better serve societies

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