In July 2025, the High Court of Saint Lucia struck down a discriminatory, colonial-era, criminal law that targeted LGBT people.
Same-sex sexual activity between men and between women was prohibited under the Criminal Code 2004, which criminalised acts of ‘buggery’ and ‘gross indecency’. These provisions carried a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.
The High Court held that these criminalising provisions contravene the fundamental human rights to protection of the law; privacy; life, liberty and security of the person; freedom of expression; and protection from discrimination on the basis of sex (interpreted to include sexual orientation). It ruled that the criminalising provisions should be modified to ensure they do not apply to consensual same-sex sexual activity in private.
The case was led by regional LGBT umbrella organisation, the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE).
Read Judgment
