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CCNTV6
  • 10 months ago
Transcript
00:00On Tuesday, two members of a three-judge Court of Appeal panel overturned the 2018 High Court ruling,
00:07which had found Sections 13 and 16 of the Sexual Offences Act to be unconstitutional.
00:14This now means that the act of buggery, even between consenting adults, is once again illegal in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:23While it's a victory for the state at the court, LGBT plus groups believe it's a loss for human rights.
00:31Advocacy group Silver Lining is sharing the following message to whichever party forms the next government.
00:38So what is still required is that the Parliament itself convene and, in good conscience,
00:49make the necessary amendments that they need to make with respect to the Savings Law Clause
00:55and respect to all the laws that impact LGBTQ plus lives on a daily basis.
01:00And it starts with something simple as amending the Equal Opportunity Act.
01:05Now, given that we are in an election season, we would like to see at least some public statements
01:15or pronouncements from all the political parties on whether they would commit to making the necessary change
01:21if they are to succeed as the next government.
01:25LGBTQ plus activist Jason Jones, who had brought the original challenge,
01:31described the Appeal Court's ruling as repressive and has vowed to take the matter all the way to the Privy Council.
01:38Asked for a legal perspective on the matter, Attorney-at-Law Martin George tells TV6 News
01:45the best route is to lobby Parliament.
01:48It would appear to be the best way of dealing with the issue as opposed to continuing to buttheads with the criminal law
01:57because the thing is, the sanctity of the legal legislation that we have on the law books is really to be upheld and to be observed.
02:09So therefore, if it is that you want to get around that, the best recourse may be to try to lobby Parliament to have it changed.
02:18However, the Appeal Court has reduced the penalties for the Act
02:22as it found Sections 13 and 16 of the Sexual Offences Act to be unconstitutional
02:29but as such acts are still prohibited under colonial legislation,
02:34the 25-year sentence for buggery was struck down
02:37and the judges ruled that the original five-year penalty should apply.
02:42Renessa Cutting, TV6 News.
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