Trinidad and Tobago's High Court has overturned laws that criminalized consensual same-sex sexual activity. The ruling on Tuesday brings an end to an 11-year legal challenge brought by dual-citizen Jason Jones, who argued the laws violated citizens' constitutional rights.
The laws, known as "buggery laws," carried penalties of up to 25 years in prison and required offenders to register as sex offenders. The court found that Sections 13 and 16 of the Sexual Offenses Act were inconsistent with constitutional protections regarding liberty, dignity, and private life. Jones, who filed his lawsuit in 2017, celebrated the decision as a victory for human rights.
This ruling follows similar legal challenges and decisions in other Caribbean nations that have gradually been dismantling colonial-era laws criminalizing homosexuality. Activists have noted that while the laws are no longer in effect, societal attitudes may take longer to change.