Privy Council strikes down Trinidad and Tobago same-sex sex ban
London's Privy Council, the final court of appeal for Trinidad and Tobago, has ruled that laws criminalising consensual sex between adult men are unconstitutional. The panel of five judges unanimously allowed the appeal brought by Jason Jones, a 62-year-old gay man and dual citizen of Trinidad and Tobago and the UK, and dismissed a counter-appeal from the country's Attorney General. The provisions, under the Sexual Offences Act 1986, carried prison terms of up to five years, though they had not been enforced recently. Jones first filed the case in February 2017. The ruling cannot be appealed.
Key facts
- The court found the provisions violated Jones' rights to private and family life under the 1976 constitution.
- Judge Philip Sales said such laws cannot be considered reasonably justifiable in a society respecting individual rights.
- The case reached the Privy Council after the Court of Appeal partially overturned a High Court win for Jones in March 2025.
- Jones said he was celebrating what he called a stunning victory.
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Why it matters
The ruling removes colonial-era criminal penalties for same-sex relations in Trinidad and Tobago and is described as a landmark for gay rights in the Caribbean.
What changed
First published from The Straits Times, RTÉ News, ABC News (US), BBC News and South China Morning Post