Mauritius Rights Body Calls for Marriage Equality

Lawmakers Should Act to Codify Protections

The National Human Rights Commission in Mauritius earlier this year urged the government to legally recognize same-sex marriages, stating that the refusal to recognize such unions is discriminatory and lacks justification under domestic law.

The Commission's recommendation comes after two same-sex couples filed complaints alleging that the country's civil status office's refusal to register their marriage is prejudicial to them. In their complaints and in public testimony before the Commission, same-sex couples and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals testified about the burdens they face with regard to taxation, inheritance, immigration, medical decision-making, family formation, and social acceptance in the absence of partnership recognition.

The Commission agreed that any exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage could amount to discrimination and recommended the formation of a government committee to eliminate discrimination in partnership recognition and marriage.