mauritius
about mauritius
official name:
Republic
of Mauritius
capital:
Port Louis
head of state: President Cassam Uteem
state: multi party democracy
population: 1,2 million
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
mainline telephones:
223,000 (1997)
cellular telephones: 37,000 (1997)
internet country code: .mu
internet service providers: 2 (2000)
internet users: 55,000 (2000)
links and contacts
NA