The United States Supreme Court has ruled that the nation’s Constitution guarantees the right to same-sex marriage in all states.

In a 5-4 decision, the court’s panel acknowledged that “no union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than they once were.” However, those justices forming the majority opinion concluded that as the case laid before them sought “dignity in the eyes of the law” for gay citizens, they judged that “the Constitution grants them that right”, effectively removing the power of individual states to deny same-sex marriage.

Chief Justice John Roberts, who opposed the move, described the outcome as “deeply disheartening”.

“This universal definition of marriage as the union of a man and a woman is no historical coincidence,” he stated. “Marriage did not come about as a result of a political movement, discovery, disease, war, religious doctrine, or any other moving force of world history — and certainly not as a result of a prehistoric decision to exclude gays and lesbians. It arose in the nature of things to meet a vital need: ensuring that children are conceived by a mother and father committed to raising them in the stable conditions of a lifelong relationship.”

Another dissenting justice, Antonin Scalia criticised the ruling as a “threat to American democracy”.

This sentiment was echoed by presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee who denounced the ruling as “an out-of-control act of unconstitutional, judicial tyranny”.

Those states now directly affected by the Supreme Court decision are those with same-sex bans currently still in place: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, most of Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas.