Bermuda has same-sex marriage again after court overturns ban

The Supreme Court of Bermuda has overturned legislation which repealed same-sex marriage just a week after the ban took effect.

Back in February, the British Overseas Territory infamously became the first country in the world to backtrack on its marriage equality laws.

The decision drew praise from Fred Nile at the time, who called the ban an example of “remarkable leadership”.

On Wednesday, Bermuda’s Supreme Court ruled the country’s replacement of same-sex marriage provisions with domestic partnerships was unconstitutional.

Marriages which took place before the law came into effect on June 1 were allowed to remain legal.

The court’s ruling has been stayed for six weeks, leaving the door open for the Bermudan government to appeal the decision.

“Bermuda’s Supreme Court was right to rule that the repeal of same-sex marriage by the country’s parliament was unconstitutional,” LGBTI rights activist Peter Tatchel said.

“Under Bermuda’s constitution and its international treaty obligations the state is duty-bound to guarantee equal treatment and non-discrimination to all its citizens.

“This ruling will encourage and empower legal challenges to criminalisation and marriage inequality across the Caribbean, many of which are bound to succeed. It is indicative of the unstoppable global trend towards LGBT+ equal human rights.”

The country has a population of around 63,000, with ten same-sex marriages registered there while they were legal.

A further four had taken place on Bermudian-registered ships, with many more which were scheduled to take place on cruise ships this year cancelled after the government’s efforts to repeal the law.

In March, Ellen Degeneres tweeted that she would cancel her trip to Bermuda and suggested others boycott the country’s tourism, though residents responded asking not to be punished for the government’s actions.