Is the world coming to an end??? Taiwan campaigners celebrates as court backs gay marriage

Taiwan could become the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage after its constitutional court ruled the law must be changed to protect human dignity.

Crowds of supporters cheered, hugged, and wept outside the court in Taipei as the decision was announced.

The panel of grand justices set a deadline of two years for the civil code, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, to be amended.

"We are all excited about the result," Chi Chia-wei, 59, who brought the case, and has been fighting for the right to marry his partner for three decades, told Sky News.

"I think it's a success that we have been looking for for many years.

"This result will put pressure on the legislation court. So the legislation court won't have any excuse to put off passing the draft.

"I think the draft will be passed before the end of next month."

Mr Chi spent 162 days in prison in 1986 after submitting his first petition asking for gay marriage to be recognised.

Taipei City Government had also petitioned the court to clarify the law after rejecting marriage applications from same-sex couples.

The court said the physical and psychological need for permanent unions was "equally essential to homosexuals and heterosexuals, given the importance of the freedom of marriage to the sound development of personality and safeguarding of human dignity".

Only two of the panel of 14 judges disagreed.

A draft bill to legalise same-sex marriage is currently awaiting its second reading in Taiwan's legislative chamber.

Supporters waved their mobile phone torches in the colors of the rainbow

Introduced by President Tsai Ing-wen's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in December, the bill passed its first reading, but triggered a strong conservative backlash.

Ms Tsai had spoken in favour of equal rights and marriage equality as a candidate, declaring in a Facebook video in 2015: "In the face of love, everyone is equal."

But she has faced criticism for her handling of the issue since coming to power last year.

Taiwan's ruling has given hope to campaigners in mainland China who are pushing for same-sex marriage to be recognised there.

Twenty-eight-year-old Sun Wenlin lost his court case on the issue in Hunan province last year, but told Sky News he was encouraged by the news.

"I'm very excited about this result and more positive about the prospects for gay marriage rights in mainland China," he said.

"Taiwan also uses the Chinese language. I think the win in Taiwan will push forward the legislation for gay marriage in mainland China too."

The decision comes at a time of increasing concern for gay rights elsewhere in the region.

Two men were publicly caned 83 times in Indonesia's Aceh province on Tuesday, after being convicted of having sex.

Human rights groups described it as a form of "medieval torture".

And 141 men were also arrested in the capital, Jakarta, on Sunday, after a raid on what police called a "gay sex party", despite homosexuality being legal everywhere in the country apart from Aceh.

Campaigners are warning of an increasingly hostile attitude towards the LGBT community in the country.

Twenty-seven men were arrested in Bangladesh last week on suspicion of being gay, which is considered a criminal offence in that country.

Despite the celebrations in Taipei, there are still fears among some campaigners that opposing politicians may try to delay the process of changing the law.

A groups of protesters beat drums outside the main judicial headquarters on Wednesday, shouting "unfair justice" and calling for the head of the judiciary to step down.

But the court said that if parliament did not make the change within the next two years, same-sex couples would be able to register to marry regardless.