Judgment_paragraph 37 · Relu Adrian Coman and Others v Inspectoratul General pentru Imigrări and Ministerul Afacerilor Interne (C-673/16)

37Admittedly, a person’s status, which is relevant to the rules on marriage, is a matter that falls within the competence of the Member States and EU law does not detract from that competence (see, to that effect, judgments of 2 October 2003, Garcia Avello, C‑148/02, EU:C:2003:539, paragraph 25; of 1 April 2008, Maruko, C‑267/06, EU:C:2008:179, paragraph 59; and of 14 October 2008, Grunkin and Paul, C‑353/06, EU:C:2008:559, paragraph 16). The Member States are thus free to decide whether or not to allow marriage for persons of the same sex (judgment of 24 November 2016, Parris, C‑443/15, EU:C:2016:897, paragraph 59).