Petition supports gay marriage in Panama

A lawsuit supporting gay marriage in Panama has been filed by attorney Carlos Ernesto González a partner of the law firm of Morgan and Morgan on behalf of Enrique Jelenszky and John Winstanley.

The couple has been in a relationship for 17 years. Their attorney presented the petition as a warning of unconstitutionality against the article of the family code that limited marriage to an act "between a man and a woman."

Jelenszky, a Panamanian lawyer, and Winstanley, a British executive, held a civil union ceremony in May 2008 at the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Panama.

Eight years later, and in accordance with the law of couples from the United Kingdom, the union became a marriage.

This year, Jelenszky requested the marriage be recorded in Panama, using the same process other couples use to have their marriages from other countries recorded in Panama.

However, the Civil Records Office in September refused to register their marriage. This lead to Jelenszky’s decision to appeal to the Supreme Court. The case, which was admitted in early November. 

The case is expected to generate controversy. A small group of about 10 people opposing the request, met on the afternoon of November 16th "in defense of family values" on the steps of the court.