Federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock says he will consider the details of a controversial ACT law allowing homosexual civil unions before deciding whether to overrule it.

The ACT government made amendments to the bill before it passed but the Liberal opposition still has concerns the law contravenes the federal Marriage Act.

A spokeswoman for Mr Ruddock said the amendments "encouraged him" but the attorney-general would not make a final decision until he had studied the amended bill.

"The bill also still allows people as young as 16 to enter into a civil union. This remains a concern to the liberal opposition, as the age eligibility for marriage means one party must be 18 years old," Mr Stefaniak said.

"This is a very significant step forward in our push towards full legal equality under Australian law," said Peter Furness, national convener for the lobby group Australian Marriage Equality.

"ACL calls on the federal government to show its resolve and overturn the territory's blatant attempt to create its own alternative marriage laws for same sex couples in Australia," managing director of ACL, Jim Wallace said.

This is cache, read story here