(London, November 10, 2026) – The UK Judicial Committee of the Privy Council on November 10, 2026, struck down Trinidad and Tobago’s laws criminalizing consensual same-sex conduct. It is the first time the body has ruled on the constitutionality of such laws.
These discriminatory laws, rooted in British colonial rule, have long fueled stigma, discrimination, and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, even when rarely enforced. The Judicial Committee is the highest appellate court for Trinidad and Tobago, but also for other independent Commonwealth countries and UK Overseas Territories, which means that its impact reaches beyond the territory of Trinidad and Tobago.
The decision builds on growing momentum toward decriminalization across the Caribbean, following recent court victories in Saint Lucia, Dominica, Barbados, and elsewhere. Across the Global South, courts and lawmakers are increasingly dismantling discriminatory laws that have denied LGBT people their fundamental rights for generations.
The following quote can be attributed to Cristian González Cabrera, senior LGBT rights researcher at Human Rights Watch:
“This ruling is another powerful reminder that decriminalization is not a special privilege, but a universal human rights imperative. Governments that continue to criminalize consensual same-sex conduct should repeal these laws and ensure that everyone can live with dignity, equality, and freedom from fear.”
