London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Colours Cayman calls for action on  same-sex marriage

Colours Cayman calls for action on same-sex marriage

Colours Cayman has called upon Governor Martyn Roper to establish a deadline for government to act on the issue of same-sex marriage.

In November, the Court of Appeal placed the onus on the Legislative Assembly to act “expeditiously” in establishing legal protection for same-sex couples that is “functionally equivalent to marriage”.

In a 3 Feb. letter to the governor, the LGBTI-advocacy group said there has been no indication that the legislature is working on the matter.

“The Court of Appeal declared in November that LGBTI+ people have a constitutional right to a legal framework and ordered the government to put that framework in place ‘expeditiously,’ yet there is no evidence of anything having been done,” wrote Colours Cayman president Billie Bryan to Roper.

“In this respect, could you, Your Excellency, publicly state by when the UK would deem the Cayman Islands government not to have acted ‘expeditiously’ in accordance with the order of the Court and, as such, would step in and legislate by Order in Council as you have previously suggested would happen in those circumstances. Respectfully, we need a definitive deadline.”

The Court of Appeal ruling stated that in the case of delay by the Cayman Islands government, the UK would be expected to take action.

“We … state that it would be wholly unacceptable for this declaration to be ignored: that there can be no justification for further delay or prevarication,” the Court of Appeal wrote in November. “That in the absence of expeditious action by the Legislative Assembly, we would expect the United Kingdom Government to recognise its legal responsibility and take action to bring this unsatisfactory state of affairs to an end.”

During the opening of the Grand Court in mid-January, Attorney General Samuel Bulgin said his office was working on a civil partnership bill that would be considered by government.

“The process is starting, and the AG’s office is working on a draft bill. Hopefully, the premier can say more at the next [Legislative Assembly] meeting if things progress,” a statement from the Premier’s Office read at the time.

That bill has not yet been presented to the Legislative Assembly for debate.

The same-sex marriage issue is also being taken to the UK Privy Council by lawyers representing Chantelle Day and Vicki Bodden Bush, who have been fighting for the right to marry in the jurisdiction.

“It will be submitted that the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal should have interpreted the Constitution in a manner which protects and promotes fundamental rights and freedoms (as the Chief Justice did) rather than adopting an approach that does the very opposite,” wrote attorney Ben Tonner, who represents Day and Bodden Bush, in a statement to the Cayman Compass last month.


Constitutional reforms

In a separate letter to Premier Alden McLaughlin, dated 21 Jan., Colours Cayman explained its concern that proposed constitutional reforms could be detrimental to human rights and minority groups.

The reforms, announced in November, would amend Section 81 to remove the governor’s reserved power to write legislation, disallow legislation and write standing orders for the Legislative Assembly, and would establish a mandatory requirement for consultation on any proposed legislation or orders in council.

“This constitutional reform will effectively force minorities to go to Buckingham Palace, i.e., 5,000 miles away, to seek effective legal remedy whenever local courts find that violations of human rights have been made by local legislators, unless you are able to articulate in law otherwise. This is, in our view, a violation of good governance and human rights in and of itself,” Bryan wrote in the letter to the premier.

She argues that by amending Section 81, the jurisdiction is left with no local authority to redress mistakes or misuse of power by the legislature in regard to human rights.

“The power of the courts in the Cayman Islands – which includes the Privy Council – is limited to declarations of incompatibility, with the effect that local laws found by the courts to be in breach of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution remain in force and rectification of any declared incompatibility is entirely left for the local legislature to address, if it wishes to do so,” Bryan’s letter states.

She goes on to write that the proposed constitutional reforms will disrupt the power balance with London and “would turn the legislature of the Cayman Islands into a quasi-sovereign parliament, albeit for human rights matters only”.

“LGBTI people fall within a minority group that is likely to suffer most, but not uniquely, as a result of this proposed change due to the anti-LGBTI sentiment and ongoing discrimination they suffer in the hands of the Cayman Islands Government,” she continued.

In the absence of action by the premier to address human rights concerns, Colours Cayman intends to lobby the UK Parliament on the matter and pursue a challenge in the High Court in London regarding the reforms.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
×