(BVI News) The BVI Christian Council has lost a proposed appeal before the High Court about a matter involving a same-sex couple in the BVI.
The Council sought permission to appeal against case-management orders issued by Justice Adrian Jack. Justice Jack’s orders were in relation to evidence and the date of the next hearing for the matter.
The matter concerns the validity of the marriage between Kinisha Forbes and Kirsten Lettsome – both of whom are women – and whether any prohibition against same-sex marriage in the BVI is contrary to the constitution of the Virgin Islands.
The couple entered a civil partnership in 2011 in the United Kingdom (UK), and was issued a marriage certificate once the UK’s same-sex couples law came into effect.
After being added as an interested party in the matter, the Christian Council wanted time to gather certain evidence and to determine certain fact-based issues about the matter. Among other things, the Council sought to ascertain whether the marriage was actually considered valid in the UK.