John Rankin (diplomat)

His Excellency
John Rankin
CMG
Governor of Bermuda
Assumed office
5 December 2016
Monarch Elizabeth II
Preceded by Ginny Ferson (acting)
United Kingdom High Commissioner to Sri Lanka
In office
2011–2015
Monarch Elizabeth II
Preceded by Peter Hayes
Succeeded by James Dauris
United Kingdom Consul–General in Boston
In office
2003–2007
Monarch Elizabeth II
Preceded by George Fergusson
Succeeded by Phil Budden
Personal details
Born John James Rankin
(1957-03-12) March 12, 1957
United Kingdom

John James Rankin CMG (born 12 March 1957) is a British diplomat and a former ambassador to Nepal. He has been Governor of Bermuda since December 2016.[1]

Biography

Rankin was educated at Hutchesons' Boys' Grammar School, the University of Glasgow (where he gained a first class honours degree in Scots law) and McGill University (where he gained a master's degree in international law). He qualified and practised as a solicitor in Scotland and was a lecturer in public law at the University of Aberdeen before joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1988. Between posts at the FCO he served at the embassy in Dublin and was consul-general at Boston. He took up his appointment as High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and non-resident High Commissioner to the Maldives in February 2011.[2] In 2015 he moved to be Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.[3] He was sworn in as Governor of Bermuda on 5 December 2016.[4]

He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2016 New Year Honours.[5]

In February 2018, Rankin signed into law the Domestic Partnerships Act 2018, which effectively reversed the right of gay couples to marry. This made Bermuda the first jurisdiction to legalize and then repeal same-sex marriage rights.[6] The law relating to same-sex marriage in Bermuda could change again, as the Supreme Court stated in June 2018 that repealing same-sex marriage rights was discriminatory and thus contrary to section 12 of the Bermuda Constitution.

Publications

Family

John Rankin has a son and two daughters.

References

  1. ↑ Johnston-Barnes, Owain (19 September 2016). "Rankin named new Governor". The Royal Gazette. Bermuda. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  2. ↑ Change of British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 1 September 2010
  3. ↑ John Rankin, gov.uk
  4. ↑ "Bermuda welcomes new Governor". The Royal Gazette. Bermuda. 5 December 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  5. ↑ "No. 61450". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2015. p. N4.
  6. ↑ staff, Guardian; agencies (2018-02-08). "Bermuda becomes first jurisdiction in the world to repeal same-sex marriage". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
George Fergusson		 Consul-General in Boston
2003–2007		 Succeeded by
Phil Budden
Preceded by
Peter Hayes		 High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives
2011–2015		 Succeeded by
James Dauris
Preceded by
Andrew Sparkes		 Ambassador to Nepal
2015		 Succeeded by
Richard Morris
Preceded by
Ginny Ferson
Acting		 Governor of Bermuda
2016–present		 Incumbent
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