Within 24 hours of the publication of a Globe and Mail story revealing that the federal government was opposing the divorce of two non-resident lesbians, the government withdrew its objection and promised co-operation to speed up the court proceeding, the Globe reported today.*

The Justice Minister issued a statement on Friday, January 13, saying that the same-sex marriages solemnized in Canada are legal. The minister went on to blame the confusion on the previous government’s poor legislation drafting.

The couple’s lawyer said she received confirmation from senior members of the cabinet that the law will be amended and clarified.

The details of the proposed legislative changes are scant at the moment. Although the lawyer believed that changes will be made to the one-year residency requirement before a divorce can be granted, how exactly it will be changed has not been confirmed.

*Kirk Makin, “Ottawa affirms legality of same-sex marriage” (13 January 2012) Globe and Mail