Friday, December 15, 2017

Indonesia's Constitutional Court Refuses To Criminalize All Sex Outside of Marriage

Reuters reports that Indonesia's Constitutional Court yesterday in a 5-4 decision rejected a petition seeking to expand the definition of adultery in Indonesian law to cover not just married couples, but all sexual relations outside of marriage.  The petition was filed by the conservative Family Love Alliance (AILA).  Rights activists feared that the petition was particularly aimed at the LGBT community.  The Court majority held that any change in the law is a matter for Parliament, not the court.  Currently, same-sex relations between adults is outlawed only in the province of Aceh.