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OBA: Drop appeal on same-sex

Shadow home affairs minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin (File photograph)

The One Bermuda Alliance urged Government to save hundreds of thousands of dollars by dropping its appeal against the court ruling on the Domestic Partnership Act.

David Burt, the Premier, has vowed to fight the judgment from Chief Justice Ian Kawaley that declared invalid the parts of the legislation which revoked marriage equality.

The OBA described the PLP’s move as “a retrograde step that could waste hundreds of thousands of dollars”.

Shadow home affairs minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said: “Government has lost two court cases now and should just say enough is enough.

“Too much taxpayer money has already been spent on this issue. These funds could have gone to correct some of the social and economic ills the Premier says need fixing.

“In a recent speech, the Premier said this Government was a Government for all. Did he mean that or were those just empty words because by pursuing this case, his Government is clearly excluding a section of our community.

“The Chief Justice said in his ruling, ‘Bermuda has a secular Constitution and section 8 of the Constitution prohibits Parliament from passing laws of general application for a religious purpose’. This is critical in understanding that there has to be a clear separation of Church and State, and the Government should not legislate for religious purposes.”