On August 16, 2010, the minister (Justice) Marco Aurélio Mello, of the STF (Supreme Federal Court of Brazil), ruled in favor of a same-sex couple, formed by a British citizen and a Brazilian, in the state of Paraná. This allowed the couple to adopt any child, regardless of age or sex of the child. The decision of the Supreme Federal Court opened the way for other same-sex couples to be accorded the same right in the country.[3]