Ruling comes as the country is mired in a debate on gay rights . The ruling was issued by the Supreme Court of Justice and it said that same-sex couples have "equal rights" to marry. The German government , then under Social Democratic Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder , passed a law in August 2001 to create registered partnerships that gave homosexual couple rights similar to those of married couples . Angela Merkel 's ruling party has opposed tax equality for those in homosexual partnerships .
Ruling comes as the country is mired in a debate on gay rights . The ruling was issued by the Supreme Court of Justice and it said that same-sex couples have "equal rights" to marry. Angela Merkel 's ruling party has opposed tax equality for those in homosexual partnerships .