BOSTON (AP) – More than a year after the state’s highest court legalized same-sex marriages in Massachusetts, the court will hear oral arguments on an opponent’s petition.

In its November 2003 decision legalizing gay marriages, the Supreme Judicial Court gave the state Legislature 180 days to implement the ruling.

C.J. Doyle, a gay-marriage opponent and executive director of the Catholic Action League, sought to extend that time period pending the outcome of a process to amend the state constitution. Doyle’s petition was denied by a single justice of the SJC, and his request for an expedited appeal was also rejected. Same-sex couples began marrying in Massachusetts on May 17, 2004.

Doyle’s appeal of that ruling has slowly made its way through the court, which this week put the appeal on its calendar for this spring. No date has been set yet for the arguments.

Gay rights advocates do not expect the hearing will have any effect on the historic ruling.

“The Doyle case represents perhaps the final loose end that requires clean-up in the aftermath of the desperate efforts to undermine the Goodridge decision. Goodridge is and remains the law of the Commonwealth, and there is absolutely no reason to expect that will change,” said Gary Buseck, legal director of Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders.

Doyle did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment Friday.