Same-sex marriage legalised in Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory, has legalised same-sex marriage with immediate effect.

The Grand Court of the Cayman Islands ruled in favour of marriage equality on Friday (March 29), legalising same-sex marriage following a court case brought against the Cayman Islands by a lesbian couple.

The ruling comes less than a year after Chantelle Day and her partner Vickie Bodden Bush applied for the right to be married in the Cayman Islands, but had their application rejected due to the fact that they are a same-sex couple.

They initially said that they’d be prepared to accept a civil partnership as long as their relationship could be recognised by law, but since their plea was rejected they were forced to litigate to have their relationship officially recognised.

“The Chief Justice’s judgment beautifully combines the common law and European Court case law, with a healthy dose of common sense. Equality means equality. Love is love.”

— Peter Laverack

The couple then set up a GoFundMe page to fight for the right to be married in her home country.

On Friday, the Chief Justice accepted their arguments, modifying the Marriage Law with immediate effect to allow same-sex marriage.

“Same-sex marriage is now lawful in the Cayman Islands!!” Peter Laverack, an attorney for the couple, tweeted on Friday.

He added: “Congratulations to my clients Chantelle & Vickie. Pleasure to have been junior counsel to Ed Fitzgerald QC Doughty Street and Ben Tonner QC.”

Chantelle Day, Peter Laverack, and Vickie Bodden Bush stand outside the court in the Cayman Island that legalised same-sex marriage on March 29. (Supplied)

Laverack was nominated for PinkNews Campaigner of the Year in 2018 for his advocacy on LGBT+ rights around the Commonwealth.

• Dec 01

16 TV stars you grew up watching who later came out as LGBTQ+