The court ruled in favor of gay marriage on Thursday in a widely expected decision.

"The judges affirmed by a majority that marriage between people of the same sex does not violate the constitutional order," judge Maria Victoria Calle said.

The ruling gives gay couples for the first time ever the ability to wed the same as heterosexual couples, although they were already allowed to form civil unions.

Earlier this month, the court rejected a justice's opinion that would have denied public notaries the right to recognize same-sex marriages, paving the way for Thursday's ruling.

Other Latin American countries that have legalized gay marriage include Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

blc/gsw (AFP, AP)