Gays in Trinidad & Tobago Get Legal Protection
Trinidad
& Tobago’s Newsday, January 11, 2004
# 19-21 Chacon Street, Port of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies
Fax: 1-868-657-5008
Email: info@newsday.co.tt
http://www.newsday.co.tt/stories.php?article_id=12593
By Sean Douglas
While the laws of Trinidad and Tobago prohibit male
homosexual activity, the House of Representatives recently passed a Bill
granting certain protection to gays and lesbians from the actions of foreign
powers.
On Friday the House unanimously passed the Extradition
(Commonwealth and Foreign Territories) (Amendment Number 2) Bill 2003. The
Explanatory Notes to the Bill say it modernises and simplifies the laws
relating to extradition for serious offences, defined as crimes for which
punishment in both the extraditing country and in TT is over 12 months
imprisonment or the death penalty.
Saying the Bill safeguards the rights of suspects, the
Notes say it amends the original Extradition Act to protect the rights of gay
people. The Notes state: “Clause Seven would amend Section Eight of the Act
to prevent an accused person’s return to a declared Commonwealth territory
or a declared foreign territory if it is determined that the request for his
return is based on his sex, gender or sexual preference”.
In the original Act, protection from unjust extradition
had only been granted to persons on basis of religion. The Bill also states
that anyone accused of an offence against a Government Minister would not be
able to claim in his defence that his actions were merely political. The
Explanatory Notes state: “Persons accused or convicted of an offence against
the life or person of a Head of Government or of a Minister of Government or
of certain offences such as murder, manslaughter and kidnapping, would not be
able to object to their extradition on the ground that the offence is of
political character”.
During debate on the Bill there was no contention over
either of these provisions, and after contributions from Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Knowlson Gift, and Pointe-a-Pierre MP, Gillian Lucky, the Bill was
passed unanimously.
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