Date: 30 July 2020

Issued by: Human Rights Commission

It is with deep regret that the Commission watched, along with the rest of the world, as our Legislators failed to pass the Domestic Partnership Bill, 2020 (the “Bill”) following the debates in the Legislative Assembly over the past two days. The decision of the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal dated 7 November 2019 with respect to the appeal brought by the Cayman Islands Government in the same-sex marriage matter was clear: Government was duty bound to meet its obligations under the Bill of Rights of the Cayman Islands to provide equality for all persons.

In light of that decision and Government’s continued failure to meet its basic obligations under international law and our own Bill of Rights to provide a remedy to the current inequality facing same-sex
couples within the Cayman Islands legislative framework, passage of the Bill into law should have been inevitable. Unfortunately the Legislative Assembly failed once again to meet those obligations and direct intervention by the United Kingdom now appears likely.

The Commission continues to support and advocate for equality under the law for all persons as a fundamental principle of human rights. As the debate over the Bill’s defeat continues over the coming
weeks, the Commission reiterates the need to treat everyone with courtesy, dignity and respect and to reject intolerance and discrimination.

For more information on the Commission or to learn more about the Bill of Rights, Freedoms and Responsibilities, call 244-3685 or visit our website and Facebook pages at: http://www.humanrightscommission.ky and http://www.facebook.com/cihrc.