NI Assembly rejects same-sex 'marriage'
Published: November 2nd, 2015
The Northern Ireland Assembly has rejected same-sex 'marriage' for the fifth time in under four years. But for the first time, the motion was backed by a small majority of MLAs (53-51).
The proposal failed to attract cross-community support, however, and was finally blocked, as the DUP had presented a 'petition of concern'. The petition of concern is a feature of power-sharing in Northern Ireland. It requires a motion to have support from both nationalists and unionists.
Related News:
NI Assembly rejects same-sex 'marriage'
Irish president signs same-sex 'marriage' bill
Related Coverage:
Same-sex marriage: Proposal wins assembly majority but fails over DUP block (BBC)
