Privy Council declares Trinidad and Tobago buggery laws unconstitutional

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the United Kingdom overturned a local court decision to strike down sections of Trinidad and Tobago's Sexual Offences Act that criminalize anal sex between consenting adults.

The ruling ends a long legal battle initiated by Jason Jones, a Trinidad and Tobago LGBTQ+ activist. Jones first won a favorable ruling in 2018, but the government appealed the decision. A local appeal court eventually overturned Jones's victory in March 2025.

Jones then took the case to the Privy Council, which serves as the highest court of appeal for the twin-island nation. The Council ruled on November 10, 2026, that the specific laws were not reasonably justifiable in a society that respects individual rights and freedoms. The judges agreed with the original 2018 ruling and rejected the government's appeal.

Jones argued that the laws were relics of the colonial era and that the government failed to remove them even after the country became a republic in 1976. While the ruling marks a major legal milestone, Jones says his work continues to address broader human rights and equality issues for LGBTQ+ people. The decision may also impact other Caribbean territories that use the Privy Council as their highest court of appeal.

Jones noted that similar laws still criminalize over 75 million citizens across 37 Commonwealth nations.