BELIZE CITY, Wed. Mar. 11, 2015–The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will begin hearing the legal challenge brought by LGBT activist Maurice Tomlinson of Jamaica against the states of Belize, and Trinidad and Tobago next week Tuesday, March 17, and Wednesday, March 18.

We have been informed by the court that the two cases, JAOJ2013/001 Maurice Tomlinson v Belize and JAOJ2013/002 Maurice Tomlinson v Trinidad and Tobago, will be heard in open court in Port of Spain, Trinidad, via videoconference to Kingston, Jamaica.

Tomlinson, a homosexual in a same-sex marriage to a Canadian pastor, is challenging the immigration laws of the CARICOM countries, alleging that they deny hassle-free movement of homosexuals into those states, which he claims is a violation of his right as a CARICOM national.

In May 2014, the CCJ ruled that Tomlinson has an arguable case against Belize and Trinidad and so admitted his application to have the matter heard by the regional court.

The Government of Belize has told the CCJ that Tomlinson had actually traveled to Belize on multiple occasions and was never denied entry.

Section 5 of Belize’s Immigration Act – Chapter 156 of the Laws of Belize – lists among the categories of prohibited immigrants “any prostitute or homosexual or any person who may be living on or receiving or may have been living on or receiving the proceeds of prostitution or homosexual behavior…”