John Rankin

John James Rankin, (born 12 March 1957) is a British diplomat and a former ambassador to Nepal. He served as the Governor of the British Virgin Islands from January 2021 to January 2024. He was the Governor of Bermuda from December 2016 to December 2020.

Early life and education Rankin was born on 12 March 1957. He was educated at Hutchesons' Boys' Grammar School, a private school in Glasgow, Scotland. He studied Scots law at the University of Glasgow, graduating with a first class honours Bachelor of Laws degree. He later studied international law at McGill University, graduating with a Master of Laws degree.

Career Legal career Rankin qualified and practised as a solicitor in Scotland; he was a member of the Law Society of Scotland. He was additionally a lecturer in public law at the University of Aberdeen from 1984 to 1988. In 2015, he was appointed Ambassador to Nepal.

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

Governor Rankin was sworn in as Governor of Bermuda on 5 December 2016. In February 2018, signed into law the Domestic Partnership Act 2018, which effectively reversed the right of gay couples to marry. This made Bermuda the first jurisdiction to legalise and then repeal same-sex marriage rights. 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 Bermudian Constitution. Rankin did delay granting royal assent to refer the matter to the British government but the government declined to recommend refusing royal assent due to the constitutional convention that the British government would not interfere with decisions taken by the British Overseas Territories' legislatures.

In September 2020, it was announced that Rankin would be replacing Gus Jaspert as Governor of the British Virgin Islands in 2021. As such, he was replaced in December 2020 by Rena Lalgie as Governor of Bermuda.

Rankin was sworn in as Governor of the British Virgin Islands on 29 January 2021, after arriving in the territory and observing the mandatory 14-day quarantine due to COVID-19.

Personal life Johns' wife, Lesley Marshall, separated from him in 2015 and they subsequently divorced in 2019. In 2018 John met his partner, Bermudian / Canadian Tara Curtis while he was Governor in Bermuda. Tara was the previous CEO of Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre, a non-profit Centre which successfully brought Radiotherapy treatment to the island in 2017. Tara joined John in the BVI during his Governorship from 2021 until 2024. John and his first wife Lesley have a son and two daughters. John is now happily retired with his current partner Tara in Pyford, Surrey.

Publications The Right of Self-determination: Its Nature, Content and Beneficiaries in International Law, McGill University, 1984