Utah gay marriage: Weddings put on hold by US high court

Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker (centre) marries Natalie Dicou (left) and Nicole Christensen on the first day of same-sex weddings in Utah

The US Supreme Court has halted same-sex marriages in the state of Utah pending a legal challenge to the state's ban on gay nuptials.

Gay marriage had been allowed in Utah since 20 December, when a judge ruled the state's ban was unconstitutional.

More than 900 same-sex couples have been wed since then.

The Supreme Court order halts same-sex marriage until a Denver-based federal appeals court decides whether to uphold the ruling overturning the ban.

The Denver-based US Court of the Appeals for the 10th Circuit has twice rejected attempts by Utah to stop the weddings pending appeal.

Utah's ban against same-sex marriage was passed by voters in the overwhelmingly conservative state in 2004.

In a 20 December ruling, Federal District Judge Robert Shelby said the ban violated same-sex couples' right to equal protection under the law, and found that Utah had failed to show that allowing gay marriage would harm opposite-sex couples.

The ruling dismayed Republican Governor Gary Herbert and the Mormon church, which counts two-thirds of the state's residents as members.

Labelling the Supreme Court decision "correct" on Monday, Mr Herbert told CNN: "All Utahns deserve to have this issue resolved through a fair and complete judicial process. I firmly believe this is a state-rights issue."

Meanwhile Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes failed to indicate whether the state would attempt to challenge the validity of the same-sex marriages conducted since 20 December.

"There is not clear legal precedence for this particular situation," he said in a statement. "It is very unfortunate that so many Utah citizens have been put into this legal limbo."