Tag: same-sex unions
Ruling shows Parliament must act when rights are breached
(CNS): Justice Richard Williams’ ruling on the judicial review over how the governor passed the Civil Partnership Act goes far beyond protecting the rights of same-sex couples to marriage equivalency. The ruling reveals that the Cayman Islands Parliament does not have a choice when it comes to complying with the human rights enshrined in the […]
Court upholds Roper’s use of power on civil unions
(CNS): Governor Martyn Roper did not act unlawfully when he used his power under section 81 of the Constitution to implement the Civil Partnership Act, the Grand Court has ruled. Justice Richard Williams presided over a judicial review last year that called the governor’s actions into question. However, in a judgment published Monday, the court […]
Challenges to Constitution are welcome, says AG
(CNS): Chantelle Day and Vickie Bodden-Bush “are to be commended for their determination to litigate the issues in their case”, Attorney General Samuel Bulgin said in the wake of last week’s Privy Council ruling that upheld the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal ruling that the Constitution does not give same-sex couples the right to marry.
UK court denies same-sex marriage appeal
(CNS): The UK Privy Council has denied the appeal by Chantelle Day and Vickie Bodden-Bush of the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal’s decision to overturn Chief Justice Anthony Smellie’s 2019 ruling legalising same-sex marriage. The London-based judicial board rejected their argument and upheld the position of the Cayman Islands Government (CIG) that the CI Constitution […]
Still no Privy Council decision on gay marriage case
(CNS): This past Wednesday marked one year since the appeal by Chantelle Day and Vickie Bodden-Bush to reinstate the chief justice’s March 2019 ruling legalising same-sex marriage was argued before the Privy Council in London, but they have still not received a decision. A judicial review last year of the governor’s move to introduce civil […]
Loss of civil union law would restore rights violations
(CNS): The lawyer representing the Attorney General’s Chambers and the governor’s office told a court Thursday that if it overturned the Civil Partnership Act, which gave legal status to same-sex unions, it would be re-introducing the serious violation of human rights against the LGBT community that had been identified by the Cayman Islands Court of […]
LGBT advocates will have voice in JR of civil unions
(CNS): The Grand Court has ruled that Colours Caribbean, a local LGBTQIA+ advocacy group, has the expertise to intervene in a judicial review brought by a conservative Christian group challenging the way the law that provides for same-sex civil unions was rolled out. Justice Richard Williams said that Colours is not only well aware of […]
Judicial review of civil union law remains secret
(CNS): A law suit filed by local conservative, Christian activist, Kattina Anglin, seeking a judicial review of the governor’s use of his constitutional powers to implement the Civil Partnership Law is still not publicly available, even though it appears the case was granted leave to proceed. The case was accepted by Justice Richard Williams in […]
Pope gives same-sex legal unions the thumbs up
(CNS): Pope Francis has endorsed same-sex civil unions for the first time since he became pontiff in 2013. The leader of the Catholic Church gave his public support for LGBTQ rights during an interview in a film documentary “Francesco”, which premiered in Rome on Wednesday. “Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. […]
HRC breaks silence as CP law comes into effect
(CNS): Local same-sex couples will finally be able to have their relationships legally recognised next week and gain access to similar rights afforded to married couples. The Civil Partnership Regulations have been gazetted and Deputy Governor Franz Manderson has confirmed that the civil service will be ready to take applications. Following that announcement, the Human […]
LGBT+ group ‘disgusted’ by legal aid grant
(CNS): Colours Cayman, the first non-profit organisation in the country to represent the LGBT+ community, has said its members were “disgusted” that government has granted legal aid to a member of a conservative Christian association challenging the implementation of the Civil Partnerships Law by Governor Martyn Roper. The LGBT+ group said the action is doomed […]
