Goa, July 3 -- The Hong Kong government announced on Wednesday that it will introduce legislation to grant certain legal rights to same-sex couples whose marriages were registered abroad. The move is aimed at complying with a 2023 court ruling that instructed authorities to establish an "alternative framework" for recognising same-sex relationships within two years.

According to a policy document, the proposed law will create a registration system allowing eligible couples to have their partnerships officially recognised. However, the scope of rights will be restricted mainly to healthcare matters-such as hospital visitations, consent for medical decisions, access to medical records, and organ donation-as well as rights concerning end-of...