Bermuda Becomes First Country in rhe World to Repeal Same-sex Marriage | TIME

Feb 8, 2018 | Legislation replacing same-sex marriage with domestic partnerships in Bermuda was signed into law by the governor Wednesday as critics called it an unprecedented rollback of civil rights in the British island territory.

Ban on Same-sex Marriage in Bermuda Upheld. Click here.

Bermuda’s Ban on Same-Sex Marriage Is Allowed, UK Judges Rule

THE GUARDIAN: JCPC overturns decision by lower court that ban was unconstitutional, in setback for LGBTQ rights

The Bermuda flag. The JCPC is the ultimate court of appeal for Bermuda and many other British overseas territories. Photograph: Tetra Images/Alamy
British judges have ruled tha Bermuda’s ban on same-sex marriage is permitted under its constitution, in a setback for gay rights in the British overseas territory.

The UK’s judicial committee of the privy council (JCPC) – the ultimate court of appeal for Bermuda and dozens of other British overseas territories, dependencies and Commonwealth states – on Monday overturned a decision by Bermuda’s highest court, which ruled the ban to be unconstitutional.

The JCPC also ruled separately that there was no right to same-sex marriage under the constitution of the Cayman Islands. » | Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent | Monday, March 14, 2022

Bermuda Lashed by Hurricane Igor
THE TELEGRAPH: Fierce waves have pounded Bermuda's breakwaters and shores and battered oceanfront hotels as Hurricane Igor lashed the British territory.

Bermudians battened down their homes in pelting rain to wait out Igor, a relatively weak Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The wind uprooted trees and power poles, knocking out electricity in many parts of the island. But there were no early reports of major damage.

"We're certainly getting our money's worth in drama," lawyer James Dodi said while standing outside a hotel in downtown Hamilton watching Igor's winds whip through palm trees and howl around buildings.

Some storm-seasoned islanders ventured outside during the day to watch as the hurricane force winds drove 15-foot surf onto shore. Flooding was reported in low-lying areas, while streets in downtown Hamilton, the capital, were covered in several inches of water and littered with tree branches and other debris. >>> | Monday, September 20, 2010

Igor Powers Ashore in Bermuda


Bracing for Igor in Bermuda >>>

Bermuda in More Tranquil Times

Queen Bypasses Bermuda’s Celebration of Four Centuries of Colonial History
TIMES ONLINE: The Queen is skipping today’s celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Britain’s oldest colony after a row with the island’s pro-independence leader.

Bermuda is commemorating the shipwreck on July 28, 1609, of the Sea Venture, the flagship of a fleet sent to resupply the Jamestown colony in America.

Sailors, including the crew of the visiting Royal Navy destroyer HMS Manchester, will re-enact the 150 settlers rowing ashore on what is now St Catherine’s Beach to start four centuries of continuous settlement of the mid-Atlantic island.

Neither Queen Elizabeth II, the island’s sovereign, nor Ewart Brown, the elected pro-independence Premier, however, will be present for the celebrations.

The Queen was invited and had been considering a visit but decided to skip the festivities after Britain clashed with the island’s elected Government in June over its decision to resettle four former Guantánamo Bay prisoners without asking Britain’s permission.

The four Muslim ethnic Uighurs from China have been transferred to guest-worker housing and are learning English with a tutor. They are trying to get jobs but are all currently recovering from a bout of flu.

A Palace source said that the Queen had no immediate plans to visit Bermuda. >>> James Bone in New York | Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Guantanamo Row May Halt Queen’s Visit to Bermuda
Photo: The Sunday Times
THE SUNDAY TIMES: THE Foreign Office is threatening to cancel a state visit by the Queen to Bermuda after a row with the island over its “unacceptable” decision to give sanctuary to four former inmates of Guantanamo Bay.

The boycott is being considered after Bermuda infuriated David Miliband, the foreign secretary, by allowing the four men, all Chinese Muslim Uighurs, to stay on what is an overseas British territory.

The move followed a secret deal struck between Washington and the Bermudans. It was carried out without consulting Britain or the island’s governor.

Miliband protested to Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, about the pact. He told her the move was “invalid” because it breached Bermuda’s constitution, under which the UK has control over the island’s foreign and security policy.

The Uighurs are Muslim separatists from Xinjiang province. They had fled to Afghanistan in 2001 to escape Chinese oppression and were detained after they went to Pakistan.

Their arrival in Bermuda last month sparked an angry response from Sir Richard Gozney, the island’s governor. He summoned Ewart Brown, the Bermudan prime minister, for a dressing down. >>> David Leppard | Sunday, July 19, 2009

David Miliband Calls Hillary Clinton to Voice Anger over Guantánamo Inmates' Transfer to Bermuda
THE TELEGRAPH: A high-level transatlantic row has broken out over the Obama administration's failure to consult Britain over the transfer of four Guantánamo Bay inmates to Bermuda.

Bermuda has agreed to take in four Guantanamo Bay detainees. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
David Miliband has telephoned Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, to express the government's disappointment at the deal.

British officials were informed the four Chinese Uighurs were heading to the United Kingdom's oldest dependency only as they boarded their plane for Bermuda on Wednesday night.

A British diplomat said: "The Foreign Secretary registered his surprise. It was a regrettable mistake. Bermuda, the UK and the US now need to work together to fix it and make sure it doesn't happen again."

A senior State Department official said this diplomatic understatement masked a real anger over the Obama administration's oversight among British officials, telling ABC News: "They're pissed". >>> By Toby Harnden in Washington | Friday, June 12, 2009

Foreign Office Fury Over Settlement of Guantánamo Uighurs in Bermuda
The tropical island of Bermuda is Britain's oldest remaining dependency. Photo courtesy of TimesOnline
TIMES ONLINE: The British Government responded with ill-disguised fury tonight to the news that four Chinese Uighurs freed from Guantanamo Bay had been flown for resettlement on the Atlantic tourist paradise of Bermuda.

The four arrived on Bermuda in the early hours, celebrating the end of seven years of detention after learning that they were to be accepted as guest workers.

But it appears that the Government of Bermuda failed to consult with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the decision to take in the Uighurs – whose return is demanded by Beijing – and it could now be forced to send them back to Cuba or risk a grave diplomatic crisis.

Bermuda, Britain's oldest remaining dependency, is one of 14 overseas territories that come under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom, which retains direct responsibility for such matters as foreign policy and security.

"We've underlined to the Bermuda Government that they should have consulted with the United Kingdom as to whether this falls within their competence or is a security issue, for which the Bermuda Government do not have delegated responsibility," an FCO spokesman said. >>> Philippe Naughton | Thursday, June 11, 2009