Official Changes Focus on Gay Marriage Issue

In a move that could enable the Canadian government to abandon its push to legalize gay marriage, Justice Minister Irwin Cotler asked the Supreme Court if the constitution actually required that such unions be allowed.

The Liberal government had earlier posed a softer question -- whether it would be constitutional to allow same-sex marriages -- but it has now bowed to pressure from opponents of gay marriage by asking whether it legally has to do so.

Cotler insisted that the new administration of Prime Minister Paul Martin, which took office last month, still supported gay marriage and would argue in favor of it before the Supreme Court.