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In the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1993 and the age of consent was equalised to 16 in 2012. The Supreme Court of Gibraltar ruled in April 2013 that same-sex couples have the right to adopt. Civil partnerships have been available for both same-sex and opposite sex couples since March 2014. == Same-sex sexual activity and age of consent == In Gibraltar, the age of consent for all sexual activity regardless of sexuality and/or gender was equalised at 16 in April 2011, when under Supreme Court order the previous law – under which the age of consent for gay males was 18 – was found to be unconstitutional. Heterosexual anal sex was decriminalised at the same time and the age of consent set at 16.〔(JUDGE RULES: AGE OF CONSENT IS 16 FOR ALL )〕 Gay male sexual conduct was decriminalised in 1993. Political campaigning prior to the 2007 Election was prominent with equality rights organisation Gib Gay Rights (GGR),〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Equality Rights Ggr )〕 headed by human rights campaigner Felix Alvarez openly challenging the incumbent Chief Minister, Peter Caruana for more rights in Gibraltar for gay and lesbian people, and others who are discriminated against.〔() Retrieved on 23 August 2007.〕 Campaigning on the issue of an equal age of consent of 16 had been strongly undertaken.〔()〕〔(PM Brown To Take Up Gay Age of Consent Inequality in Gibraltar )〕〔()〕 The issues were raised at the Foreign Affairs Committee enquiry into the overseas territories in 2008, where they concluded: :''We recommend that the Government should take steps to ensure that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender status is made illegal in all overseas territories.'' On 18 May 2009, the Gibraltar Parliament approved by Government majority leave for a Private member's bill, proposed by the Minister for Justice, to equalise the age of consent. This was opposed by the GSLP/Liberal opposition for technical reasons due to the way the Bill was written. The Government gave its Members of Parliament a free vote on the Bill. It was defeated, as the Government members were split on its approval, and the opposition members all voted against it. The influential Gibraltar Women's Association (GWA) has called for the age consent to be levelled at 18. On 1 October 2009, new proposed legislation would enable the Government of Gibraltar to ask the Supreme Court to test whether existing or draft laws are compatible with the Constitution. This would provide a simplified, purpose-built mechanism to deal with contentious issues such as the age of consent.〔(New Legislation )〕 In March 2010, the Government of Gibraltar was seeking an opinion from Court of the age of consent legal issue to see if the law is discrimination under the principles of the European Council.〔(Pinknews.com - Gibraltar court to rule on gay age of consent )〕〔(Gibraltar Chronicle - Courts set to decide on gay consent age )〕 On 1 April 2010, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs David Miliband pointed out that if a British overseas territory is unwilling to meet 'international obligations' such as equalising the age of consent it may be imposed by an Order in Council.〔(Britain ‘could force Gibraltar to adopt equal age of consent’ )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801 ) 〕〔(Gay Group Accuses Chief Minister of Homophobic Crusade “At Tax Payers Expense” )〕 On 8 April 2011, the Supreme Court of Gibraltar ruled that a higher age of consent of 18 for all gay sex was deemed unconstitutional, and thus mandated an equal age of consent of 16. Also at the same time decriminalised heterosexual anal sex and set the age of consent at 16 for that as well.〔 In August 2011, the gender-neutral ''Crimes Act 2011'' was approved, which sets an equal age of consent of 16 regardless of sexual orientation, and reflects the recent Supreme Court decision in statute or law.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801 ) 〕 The law took effect on 23 November 2012.〔(CRIMES ACT 2011 )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「LGBT rights in Gibraltar」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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