UK Privy Council Overturns Century-Old Trinidad and Tobago Gay Sex Ban
The UK Privy Council on Nov 10, 2026 unanimously struck down Trinidad and Tobago’s 100‑year‑old law criminalizing consensual gay sex, marking a historic win ...
POLICY WIRE — London, United Kingdom — On November 10, 2026, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London delivered a unanimous verdict that invalidated Trinidad and Tobago’s statute criminalizing consensual same‑sex activity.
The provision in question formed part of the nation’s Sexual Offences Act, a legal relic dating back more than a century to the British colonial era, which prohibited adult men from engaging in consensual sexual relations.
Jason Jones, a gay citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, pursued the challenge for nearly ten years, contending that the law infringed upon his fundamental human‑rights protections under regional conventions.
The council’s decision, the first of its kind for the Caribbean’s highest appellate body, removes the colonial‑era ban and represents a pivotal advance for LGBTQ+ equality across the twin‑island state.
Legal experts suggest the ruling could inspire other former British colonies that retain similar antiquated statutes to reevaluate and potentially repeal those provisions.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
