about mauritius

official name: Republic of Mauritius
capital: Port Louis
head of state: President Anerood Jugnauth (2003)
prime minister: Navin Ramgoolam (2005)
state: Parliamentary democracy within the British Commonwealth
population: 1,230,602
independence: from Britain in 1968
religion: Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%), Muslim 16.6%, other 3.1%
languages: English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori
currency: Mauritian rupee (MUR)
media: NA

legal wise

status of homosexuality: illegal
age of consent: 15
laws covering homosexual activity: At first sight, there is no law which prohibits homosexuality. The Code Penal does not make any specific reference to homosexuality, nor does any other enactment. But the law does not permit "marriages" between people of the same sex.
The Sections of the Code Penal which may be of interest to you are as follows:

Section 250 Sodomy and bestiality
Any person who is guilty of the crime of sodomy or bestiality shall be liable to penal servitude for a term not exceeding 5 years.

Section 251 Debauching Youth
(1) Any person who offends against morality, by habitually exciting, encouraging, or facilitating the debauchery or corruption of youth of either sex under the age of 18 shall be punished by imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year and by a fine not exceeding 2,000 rupees.
(2) Where such prostitution or corruption has been excited, encouraged or facilitated by the father, mother, guardian or other person entrusted with the care of youth so debauched, the punishment shall be imprisonment and a fine not exceeding 5,000 rupees.

Regarding the judicial system in Mauritius, there is a hybrid system of law, with the substantive law being inspired from French Law (Code Napoleon and Code Penal) whereas the adjectival law (evidence, criminal procedure) is inspired from British Law. All this is the legacy of having been a French as well as British colony. (message from Amnesty International, Mauritius to Olivier Jablonski)

["Sodomy" is taken to cover both women and men - but confirmation needed] Source ILGA

background information and government attitudes:
September 1997: British Columbia member of the Legislative Assembly Tim Stevenson caused an uproar at the recent meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in the Indian Ocean nation of Mauritius when he said he left his husband at home because homosexuality is illegal in Mauritius. Stevenson went on to call for creation of a Commonwealth Court of Human Rights to protect lesbians and gays in nations that ban gay sex, reported Xtra West.

communication

main lines in use: 280,900 (2000)
cellular telephones: 180,000 (2000).
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2002).
Radios: 420,000 (1997).
Television broadcast stations: 2 (plus several repeaters) (1997).
Televisions: 258,000 (1997).
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000).
Internet users: 158,000 (2002).

links and contacts
NA

mauritian gays in rally against bias

mauritius sees first gay rights march