GIBRALTAR, January 15, 2008  –  The official website of the Council of Europe has published the question tabled by UK Liberal Democrat MP Michael Hancock for reply by the Committee of Ministers regarding discrimination of gays in Gibraltar.

This follows the announcement last week by Equality Rights Group GGR that Mr. Hancock, a British member of the CoE’s Parliamentary Assembly was taking the matter to Strasbourg following a lack of response from the Gibraltar administration.

Mr. Hancock is asking the Committee of Ministers to request the United Kingdom Government, which has overall responsibility for Gibraltar to:

“ – comply with its obligation under the Convention in respect of Gibraltar;

“ – set out the actions it will now take to ensure such compliance through the elimination of all aspects of the Gibraltar Criminal Offences Act 1960 that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.”

Felix Alvarez, chairman of GGR pointed out last night:  “Outdated sexual offences affecting not only gay men but also heterosexual people in Gibraltar and some of them dating back to the times of Henry VIII contravene aspects of the European Convention of Human Rights. Campaigning to advance the individual rights of all our people will continue to be a top priority for GGR.

“We look forward to Chief Minister Peter Caruana responding directly before the UK in order to answer the case before the Council of Europe regarding his non-compliance with international law.

“This latest move,” he added, “is in addition to a report which GGR has placed before a Parliamentary Select Committee at the House of Commons [in London] investigating, amongst other things, issues of human rights in the Overseas Territories.”

The document containing Michael Hancock’s question to the Committee of Ministers san be seen HERE.

■  Gibraltar is an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom.  While there is “self-government” on internal matters, the UK Government has overall responsibility for the Territory.

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Posted: 15 January 2008 at 00:00 (UK time)