Gay marriage: Two NI couples seek judicial review of same-sex ban

Grainne Close and Shannon Sickles celebrate their civil partnership in 2005

Two gay couples are going to court on Friday to seek a judicial review of Northern Ireland's same-sex marriage ban.

Civil partners Grainne Close and Shannon Sickles and Chris and Henry Flanagan Kane were among the first to have civil ceremonies in NI.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK and Ireland to that has not legalised same-sex marriage.

Ms Close said: "This is not a religious issue, it is a human rights issue."

Speaking ahead of the court case, she told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme: "That is why we are going to court."

In 2005, Grainne and her partner, Shannon Sickles, sealed their union in a civil partnership ceremony at Belfast City Hall.

In 2014, same sex marriage was legalised in the rest of the UK.

Last month, more than 62% of the electorate in the Republic of Ireland voted to legalise same-sex marriage.

Same-sex marriage is now legal in 20 countries worldwide.

Christopher and Henry Flanaghan Kane are also seeking to challenge Northern Ireland's gay marriage ban

The Northern Ireland Assembly has debated the issue four times, and each time MLAs rejected same-sex marriage.

Grainne said: "I was at Dublin Castle for the result of the Republic of Ireland referendum and I was standing with a young man and woman and their baby. I was curious as to why they were there.

"They said they wanted to be there for their daughter because they didn't know what way she would grow up.

"She could fall in love with a man or a woman and they wanted her to be able to enjoy equal citizenship.

"Having gay marriage recognised in Northern Ireland is important to us, our friends and family and the wider lesbian and gay community.

"Not just in the present, but for future generations.

"I believe challenging the ban is the right thing to do."

Grainne Teggart, spokesperson for Amnesty International, said: "Northern Ireland's politicians have made the region a discriminatory backwater for the gay and lesbian community by repeatedly failing to legislate for marriage equality.

"The 2013 Life and Times Survey showed 59% of people in Northern Ireland support same-sex marriage being recognised in law.

"Northern Ireland's politicians lag behind the people.

"Between the marriage equality referendum in Ireland and legislation in the UK there is unstoppable momentum to bring equal marriage to this region.

"Same sex couples in every part of the UK should have an equal right to marry the person they love."