Alabama chief justice says judges should refuse gay marriage licences

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore is once again suggesting that Alabama probate judges refuse to issue marriage licences to gay couples despite the U.S. Supreme Court ruling more than six months ago that effectively legalized same-sex marriage throughout the country.

• Same-sex marriage: Alabama counties ordered to issue gay marriage licences
• Alabama Supreme Court halts gay-marriage licences
• Kim Davis, Kentucky clerk who refused to issue same-sex marriage licences, released from jail

The outspoken chief justice issued an administrative order Wednesdaysaying the Alabama Supreme Court never lifted a March directive to probate judges to refuse licences to gay couples.

Moore said the order to refuse the licences remains in "full force."However, hestopped short of directly telling judges to refuse the licences.

The director of the ACLU of Alabama, Susan Watson, called Moore's order "silly" and said it wouldn't change the fact that most Alabama judges are issuing licences to gay couples.