GayPride

Opening Hour

Mon - Sun, 8:00am - 8:00pm

Email Us

Law regarding same-sex sexual activity

The Gambia Criminal Code, as amended by the Criminal Code (Amendment) Act, 2005, provides as follows:
Section 144. Unnatural offenses.

(1) Any person who -
(a) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or
(c) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature;
is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for a term of 14 years.

(2) In this section - "carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature" includes -
(a) carnal knowledge of the person through the anus or the mouth of the person;
(b) inserting any object or thing into the vulva or the anus of the person for the purpose of simulating sex; and
(c) committing any other homosexual act with the person.

Section 145 provides that any person who attempts to commit any of the offenses specified in Section 144 is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for a term of seven years.

Section 147;
States that a male person who, whether in public or private, commits an "act of gross indecency" with another male person or procures another male person to commit an act of this kind with him, or attempts to procure another male person to commit such an act with himself or another male person, is guilty of a misdemeanour and liable to imprisonment for a term of five years.

The statute also states that a female person who, whether in public or private, commits an "act of gross indecency" with another female person or procures another female person to commit an act of this kind with her, or attempts to procure another female person to commit such an act with herself or another female person, is guilty of a misdemeanour and liable to imprisonment for a term of five years.

The term "act of gross indecency" includes any homosexual act.

Chief Editor Disclaimer

All the articles featured in this magazine are about the plight of LGBTI people in Gambia, Africa and the world. Copyright remains the property of the contributors and sources. GayPride Gambia does not claim ownership. Commons license rights asserted.

3 Comments

Yahya Jammeh News
21 November, 2014 1:47PM EST
' Gambia: Life Sentence for 'Aggravated Homosexuality'
Reply
Yayah Toure

November 18, 2014 12:00 am

Gambia must stop wave of homophobic arrests and torture.
Reply
- Yasmin Amin
  
  Tue 9 Sep 2014 00.18 BST
  
  Gambia's president threatens to slit the throats of gay men.
  Reply