Council of Europe publishes Gib discrimination issue

Following an announcement from Equality Rights Group GGR last week, the official website of the Council of Europe (http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc08/EDOC11485.htm) has now officially published a question tabling issues of sexual offences discrimination in Gibraltar. A brief communiqué from the Group states as follows:

“Question no. 539 to the Committee of Ministers reads as follows:

“To request the United Kingdom Government to:

- comply with its obligation under the Convention in respect of Gibraltar;
- set out the actions it will now take to ensure such compliance through the elimination of all aspects of the Gibraltar Criminal Offences Act 1960 that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.”

Chairman Felix Alvarez stated that “Outdated sexual offences affecting not only gay men but also heterosexual people in Gibraltar and some of them dating back to the times of Henry VIII contravene aspects of the European Convention of Human Rights. Campaigning to advance the individual human rights of all our people will continue to be a top priority for GGR. We look forward to Chief Minister Peter Caruana responding directly before the UK in order to answer the case before the Council of Europe regarding his non-compliance with international law."

“This latest move," he added, is in addition to a report which GGR has placed before a Parliamentary Select Committee at the House of Commons investigating, amongst other things, issues of human rights in the Overseas Territories.”