Commonwealth of the Bahamas
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Marguerite Pindling
Head of government: Perry Gladstone Christie

Widespread ill-treatment and other abuses against irregular migrants from countries including Haiti and Cuba continued. Bahamians voted "no" in a constitutional referendum on gender equality in citizenship matters in June. Discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people continued.

LEGAL, CONSTITUTIONAL OR INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

On 7 June, Bahamians voted "no" in a referendum on gender equality in citizenship matters under Bahamian law. The proposed amendments – backed by the government – would have strengthened anti-discrimination protections based on sex.

The result maintained inequality in Bahamian laws so that women and men pass on citizenship to their children and spouses in different ways. The result put at risk the citizenship rights of families, in particular the risk of separation of families with diverse nationalities or children born outside of the Bahamas to Bahamian parents.

RIGHTS OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER AND INTERSEX PEOPLE

Stigma and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people continued.

In April, activists founded the group Bahamas Transgender Intersex United. After its first press conference, members of the group reported receiving threats from members of the public. In May, an MP suggested that transgender people be exiled to another island.

RIGHT TO PRIVACY

Local human rights groups expressed fear regarding government surveillance online. In August, the Supreme Court ruled that the Minister of Education had breached the constitutional rights to privacy and to freedom of expression of members of an environmental group when he obtained and read their private email correspondence in Parliament. Ministers had alleged that the group was seeking to destabilize the government, and argued that parliamentary privilege allowed them to read out the confidential emails. The Court held that parliamentary privilege was subject to the supremacy of the Constitution, and ordered the destruction of the correspondence. At the end of the year, it remained unclear how the government had obtained the emails.

In November, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights granted precautionary measures to members of the environmental group who allegedly received threats against their lives and personal integrity because of their work as human rights defenders. The government, in response, said the allegations were misrepresented.

Disclaimer: © Copyright Amnesty International

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.