Privy Council rules gay sex not a crime in Trinidad and Tobago
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP): A final court of appeal in England struck down a centuries-old gay sex ban in Trinidad and Tobago in a ruling on Tuesday that activists around the world celebrated. The ruling ended a nearly 10-year battle for gay rights in the twin-island nation and cannot be appealed. “Those laws cannot be regarded as reasonably justifiable in a society that has a proper respect for the rights and freedom of the individual,” said Judge Philip James Sales of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
A UK court has overturned laws criminalizing gay sex in Trinidad and Tobago, according to reports published on Nov. 10 and 11. The Straits Times reported that the court struck down the law, while the Los Angeles Times said the ruling ended a nearly 10-year legal battle and cannot be appealed. The Jerusalem Post reported that the decision overturned provisions covering buggery and serious indecency, which carried possible prison terms of up to five years. The reports do not describe the court’s reasoning in detail.
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