Entry #2722: Same-sex marriage in Jamaica

Current Version

Region	Jamaica
Issue	Same-sex marriage
Status	Banned
Start Date	Apr 7, 2011
End Date	(none)
Description	In April of 2011, Jamaica's Parliament passed The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms Act (2011) which explicitly banned same-sex marriage and any other kind of union to be recognized in Jamaica.
Sources	https://www.japarliament.gov.jm/attachments/341_The%20Charter%20of%20Fundamental%20Rights%20and%20Freedoms%20(Constitutional%20Amendment)%20Act,%202011.pdf

Revision History (16)

May 15, 2024

edited by UnknownMiles. rewriting the description

Helpful?

	Old Value	New Value (Current)
Description	Constitutional Ban. In 2011, the Parliament passed The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (Constitutional Amendment) Act, 2011 which explicitly banned same-sex marriage and any other kind of union to be recognized in Jamaica.	In April of 2011, Jamaica's Parliament passed The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms Act (2011) which explicitly banned same-sex marriage and any other kind of union to be recognized in Jamaica.
Description	Show Difference Constitutional Ban. In 2011, the Parliament passed The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (Constitutional Amendment) Act, 2011 which explicitly banned same-sex marriage and any other kind of union to be recognized in Jamaica. April of 2011, Jamaica's Parliament passed The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms Act (2011) which explicitly banned same-sex marriage and any other kind of union to be recognized in Jamaica.

Feb 20, 2023

edited by Markissik. Added more information about constitutional ban

Helpful?

	Old Value	New Value
Start Date	1962	Apr 7, 2011
Description	Constitutional Ban.	Constitutional Ban. In 2011, the Parliament passed The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (Constitutional Amendment) Act, 2011 which explicitly banned same-sex marriage and any other kind of union to be recognized in Jamaica.
Description	Show Difference Constitutional Ban. In 2011, the Parliament passed The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (Constitutional Amendment) Act, 2011 which explicitly banned same-sex marriage and any other kind of union to be recognized in Jamaica.
Sources	http://www.newnownext.com/homosexuality-illegal-caribbean-countries/04/2018/	https://www.japarliament.gov.jm/attachments/341_The%20Charter%20of%20Fundamental%20Rights%20and%20Freedoms%20(Constitutional%20Amendment)%20Act,%202011.pdf
Sources	Show Difference http://www.newnownext.com/homosexuality-illegal-caribbean-countries/04/2018/ https://www.japarliament.gov.jm/attachments/341_The%20Charter%20of%20Fundamental%20Rights%20and%20Freedoms%20(Constitutional%20Amendment)%20Act,%202011.pdf

Jan 9, 2022

edited by LGBT_southeastasian

Helpful?

	Old Value	New Value
Value	Foreign same-sex marriages recognized only	Banned
Start Date	(unknown)	1962
Description	Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling. Homosexuality is currently illegal. under the 2018 IACHR ruling. Gay Marriage and gay Unions pending.	Constitutional Ban.
Description	Show Difference Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling. Homosexuality is currently illegal. under the 2018 IACHR ruling. Gay Marriage and gay Unions pending. Constitutional Ban.

Reports (2)
Date is incorrect "Ban was in place after the new charter of rights of 2011 which replaced chapter three of the contitution  https://www.japarliament.gov.jm/attachments/341_The%20Charter%20of%20Fundamental%20Rights%20and%20Freedoms%20(Constitutional%20Amendment)%20Act,%202011.pdf"
Jul 14, 2022
Date is incorrect "It should be 2011"
Mar 17, 2022

Sep 29, 2018

edited by Ausyk

Helpful?

	Old Value	New Value
Sources	No	http://www.newnownext.com/homosexuality-illegal-caribbean-countries/04/2018/

Sep 12, 2018

edited by Ausyk

Helpful?

	Old Value	New Value
Description	Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling. Homosexuality is currently illegal. under the 2018 IACHR ruling.	Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling. Homosexuality is currently illegal. under the 2018 IACHR ruling. Gay Marriage and gay Unions pending.
Description	Show Difference Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling. Homosexuality is currently illegal. under the 2018 IACHR ruling. Gay Marriage and gay Unions pending.

Jul 27, 2018

edited by Ausyk

Helpful?

	Old Value	New Value
Value	Unrecognized	Foreign same-sex marriages recognized only
Description	Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling. Homosexuality is currently illegal.	Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling. Homosexuality is currently illegal. under the 2018 IACHR ruling.
Description	Show Difference Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling. Homosexuality is currently illegal. under the 2018 IACHR ruling.

Jul 18, 2018

edited by Ausyk

Helpful?

	Old Value	New Value
Description	Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling. Gay marriage legalization pending.	Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling. Homosexuality is currently illegal.
Description	Show Difference Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling. Gay marriage legalization pending. Homosexuality is currently illegal.

Jun 15, 2018

edited by Ausyk

Helpful?

	Old Value	New Value
Description	Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling.	Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling. Gay marriage legalization pending.
Description	Show Difference Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling. Gay marriage legalization pending.

Mar 22, 2018

edited by Ausyk

Helpful?

	Old Value	New Value
Start Date	Jan 1, 1962	(unknown)
Description	Constitutional ban since 1962. Not enforced. Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling.	Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling.
Description	Show Difference Constitutional ban since 1962. Not enforced. Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling.

Feb 22, 2018

edited by Ausyk

Helpful?

	Old Value	New Value
Description	Constitutional ban since 1962. Not enforced. Required Legalization under the 2018 AICHR Ruling.	Constitutional ban since 1962. Not enforced. Required Legalization under the 2018 IACHR Ruling.
Description	Show Difference Constitutional ban since 1962. Not enforced. Required Legalization under the 2018 AICHR Ruling. IACHR Ruling.

Feb 21, 2018

edited by Ausyk

Helpful?

	Old Value	New Value
Value	Banned	Unrecognized
Description	Constitutional ban since 1962. Not enforced.	Constitutional ban since 1962. Not enforced. Required Legalization under the 2018 AICHR Ruling.
Description	Show Difference Constitutional ban since 1962. Not enforced. Required Legalization under the 2018 AICHR Ruling.

Sep 14, 2017

edited by Ausyk

Helpful?

	Old Value	New Value
Description	Constitutional ban since 1962	Constitutional ban since 1962. Not enforced.

Sep 10, 2017

edited by Ausyk

Helpful?

	Old Value	New Value
Value	Unrecognized	Banned
Start Date	(unknown)	Jan 1, 1962
Description	No	Constitutional ban since 1962

Sep 13, 2016

edited by Ausyk

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	Old Value	New Value
Value	Legal	Unrecognized
Description	Just became legal last year.	No

Sep 13, 2016

edited by Ausyk

Helpful?

	Old Value (Original)	New Value
Value	Banned	Legal
Description	Not legal because it has not yet decriminalized same sex activity.	Just became legal last year.
Description	Show Difference Not legal because it has not yet decriminalized same sex activity. Just became legal last year.

Jul 29, 2016

created by Ausyk

Helpful?

	Original entry
Status	Banned
Start Date	(unknown)
End Date	(none)
Description	Not legal because it has not yet decriminalized same sex activity.
Sources	No