US Clerk set to return to work after jailing

A Kentucky county clerk may return to work today after a five-day stint in jail for refusing to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples.

Kim Davis was locked up last Thursday for the boldest act of resistance by a public official yet to the US Supreme Court ruling in June that effectively legalised same-sex marriage across the nation.

Citing “God’s authority” and her belief that gay marriage is a sin, Davis stopped issuing all marriage licences.

The apostolic Christian would not say whether she would allow licences to continue to be issued or try to block them again, defying a federal court order that could send her back to jail.

Davis walked out of the Carter County Detention Centre’s front door on Tuesday, arm in arm with her lawyer and with Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee as thousands of supporters cheered.

Davis will return to work either today or Monday, according to a statement from Charla Bansley, a spokeswoman for Liberty Counsel, the Christian law firm representing Davis.

The statement did not say whether Davis would allow her office to grant the licences.

In lifting the contempt order against Davis, US district judge David Bunning said he was satisfied that her deputies were fulfilling their obligation to grant licences to same-sex couples in her absence.