Obergefell v. Hodges

Definition

A landmark civil rights case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Related terms

Due Process Clause: This clause in the U.S. Constitution guarantees that no individual will be deprived of life, liberty, or property without appropriate legal procedures and safeguards.

Equal Protection Clause: A provision within the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution stating that no state shall deny any person within its jurisdiction "the equal protection of laws." This means all individuals must be treated equally under law.

Fourteenth Amendment: An amendment to the U.S. Constitution ratified in 1868 granting citizenship and equal civil and legal rights to African Americans and slaves who had been emancipated after the American Civil War; it includes clauses on due process and equal protection.