The government of Belize announced Wednesday that it would not appeal a ruling that overturned the nation's anti-sodomy laws.

Last week, Belize Supreme Court Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin ruled unconstitutional Section 53 of the country's Criminal Code, which banned “carnal intercourse against the order of nature,” widely interpreted to mean sodomy between two men or between a man and woman, regardless of consent. Thought seldom enforced, the law stipulated a ten-year prison sentence for offenders.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Attorney General Vanessa Retreage made the announcement at a press conference in Belize City, according to various sources.

The landmark ruling, which makes Belize the first Caribbean nation to end its ban on gay sex, was the result of a lawsuit filed by LGBT rights advocate Caleb Orozco in 2010.

The deadline to appeal the ruling is August 31.