BRIDGETOWN – The High Court in Barbados has struck out colonial-era laws that criminalised gay sex. The previous laws, while rarely invoked, demanded a life sentence for those found guilty of having consensual same-sex relations. Barbados is the third Caribbean nation to make similar reforms this year. Activists and members of the LGBTQ+ community who have fought for the change welcomed this week’s ruling, saying it promoted privacy and freedom. Local advocacy group Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (Ecade) said on Twitter the ruling “consolidates the rights of all Barbadians to privacy and freedom of expression, and impacts LGBTQ+ people across the eastern Caribbean”. Two LGBTQ+ advocates in Barbados filed the case, in partnership with local organisations, including Ecade. Barbados attorney general Dale Marshall said Justice Michelle Weekes issued the ruling on Monday, concluding that two sections of the 1992 Sexual Offences Act were unconstitutional. “In short, [the ruling means] we can no longer prosecute persons under these two sections,” he said, adding that charges for offences relating to consensual gay sex could no longer be maintained. (BBC)