BARBADOS GAYS, Lesbians and All-Sexuals against Discrimnation (B-GLAD) has thrown its support behind Attorney General Adriel Brathwaithe’s move toward scrapping the mandatory death penalty for murder.
However, the group is also calling for other laws to be amended to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals.
In a statement issued today, executive director Donnya Piggott noted that the death penalty is a denial of the most basic human rights since it violates one of the most fundamental principles under widely accepted human rights law – the right to life and more specifically, Article 4 of Inter-American Convention of Human Rights.
“As Barbados begins to progress and become a more developed country we must do away with laws which are not sensible and laws that reflect badly on the stance of Barbados. Though the complete removal of the law is still a human rights issue, one must commend the Attorney General for removing this piece of legislation that clearly does not reflect the actions of how justice is carried out in Barbados,” she said.
While commending Brathwaite for the move, the association also sought to “remind him”. that the existing and “contentious” buggery law and the serious indecency laws which both lie within the Sexual Offences Act of Barbados’ constitution is in violation to Article 11 of the American Convention on Human Rights which is The Right to Privacy.
This article states that “No one may be the object of arbitrary or abusive interference with his private life, his family, his home, or his correspondence, or of unlawful attacks on his honour or reputation.”
“Additionally, by a lack of legislation which protects LGBT Barbadians from being attacked, discriminated against, persecuted or violated because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, Barbados can be argued to be also in violation of Article 24 of the American Convention on Human Rights, Right to Equal Protection, which states “All persons are equal before the law. Consequently, they are entitled, without discrimination, to equal protection of the law.”
“Finally, as Barbados makes the effort to reconcile this one law with the IACHR that has many different treaties and articles, we would hope that the other existing laws that violate the convention will too be amended or abolished. Certainly anything besides that would be a monstrous avoidance of common sense,” the release stated. (PR/NB)