Landmark Ruling: Privy Council Upholds Cayman Islands' Same-Sex Civil Partnerships

In a landmark ruling, the Privy Council in London has upheld the legality of same-sex civil partnerships in the Cayman Islands, bringing clarity to a long-standing legal battle. Campaigners have praised the decision, which confirms that the territory's Bill of Rights supports the enactment of such laws, despite opposition in Parliament.

The same-sex civil partnerships law came into effect after a landmark 2020 court case brought by Caymanian lawyer Chantelle Day and her partner Vickie Bodden Bush. Faced with the refusal of permission to marry, the couple challenged the legal framework, leading to a change that now provides functional equivalency to marriage for same-sex couples in the Cayman Islands.

While the bill faced opposition in the Cayman Islands' parliament and was initially rejected, the then-governor Martyn Roper enacted it, citing the need to uphold human rights. London's Privy Council has now dismissed a final appeal against this decision, solidifying the progress made towards civil rights in the region.

(With inputs from agencies.)