Law of The British Virgin Islands - Human Rights

Human Rights

In practice, basic human rights are broadly respected in the British Virgin Islands. Repression of freedom of speech, interference with democracy or the rule of law, and arbitrary arrest and torture are virtually unknown. The Territory has been described as “generally free of human rights abuses” and its government has been characterised as taking “a strong and proactive approach to the protection of human rights.”

However, the laws in the British Virgin Islands do openly discriminate against people who do not hold what is called “belonger status.” This form of discrimination is expressly preserved in the BVI constitution, which excludes non-belongers from the full scope of its non-discrimination protections.