A Hong Kong court has rejected a challenge against the city's ban on same-sex marriage.

According to CNN, Hong Kong's Court of the First Instance handed down its ruling on Friday.

The plaintiff in the case is a woman known as MK who argued that the city's ban violated her constitutional rights.

The court said that her arguments were not “sufficiently strong or compelling” enough to strike down the city's ban.

“Were the court to 'update' the meaning of 'marriage' to include same-sex marriage, it would be introducing a new social policy on a fundamental issue with far-reaching legal, social, and economic consequences and ramifications,” the court said in its ruling.

“It is beyond the proper scope of the functions or powers of the court,” it said, adding that “there is much to be said for the Government to undertake a comprehensive review on this matter.”