Feb. 10 (Bloomberg) — The Justice Department's push to extend legal protections to same-sex couples in civil and criminal matters is the latest example of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder leading second-term social policy for the administration of President Barack Obama.

Holder said in a speech in New York on Saturday that same-sex couples will receive many of the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts. Under the guidelines to be released today, federal prosecutors won't object if a same-sex spouse declines to provide testimony that might incriminate his or her partner.

That policy shift is the most recent instance of Holder staking out the administration's views on contentious issues such as drug laws and voting rights. Last month, Holder's deputy James Cole urged defense lawyers to help the government identify imprisoned drug offenders who should win clemency because they were sentenced under stricter laws than exist today.