Mauritius - October 2023

On 4 October, Mauritius’ Supreme Court delivered a judgement de-criminalising same-sex relations in the country. In its decision, the Court found that the colonial-era law prohibiting ‘sodomy’ breached a constitutional protection against discrimination and ruled that it should be interpreted to exclude consensual sexual intercourse between male adults. While the court noted that the law is ‘rarely, if ever’ enforced against gay men, it found that the threat of arrest, prosecution and conviction had a very significant impact on them, entrenching stigma and encouraging discrimination. The ruling was welcomed by the UN and rights organisations.

Sources: The Supreme Court of Mauritius, The Conversation, Human Dignity Trust, United Nations