Governor Martyn Roper will use his powers under section 81 of the constitution to assent to the recently defeated Domestic Partnership Bill and expects the law to be enacted by the beginning of next month, according to a statement released by the Governor’s Office.

“As Governor, this is not a position I would ever have wanted to be in,” Roper is quoted as saying in the release. “Since arriving in October 2018, I have fully respected Cayman’s extensive responsibility for dealing with domestic matters. But I cannot simply stand aside when it comes to upholding the rule of law and complying with international obligations, which fall squarely within my responsibilities as Governor.”

The Cayman Islands Court of Appeal last year overturned Chief Justice Anthony Smellie’s ruling granting Vickie Bodden Bush and Chantelle Day the right to marry, but also mandated Cayman’s government “act expeditiously” to create a legal equivalent of marriage for same-sex couples. Read more via Cayman Compass