Posthumous pardons for gay and bisexual men: share your views
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Version 0 of 1. The Ministry of Justice plans to wipe the criminal records of gay and bisexual men convicted of sexual offences that are no longer illegal. And according to the gay rights organisation Stonewall this means poet and writer Oscar Wilde should be exonerated. In a symbolic gesture, the MoJ said there would be no historical limit in relation to past offences. However, it declined to say whether Wilde would be among those deemed posthumously pardoned due to the complexity of assessing his case. If homosexual acts are no longer illegal, those convicted for consensual activity will be deemed to have received a posthumous pardon. The Liberal Democrat peer Lord Sharkey, who has moved for those convicted under homophobic laws in the past to have their convictions disregarded, said: “This is a momentous day for thousands of families up and down the UK who have been campaigning on this issue for decades. I am very grateful for the government’s support and the support of many of my colleagues in parliament.” But Paul Twocock, director of campaigns at Stonewall, was less enthusiastic. He said: “We welcome the government announcement to issue a posthumous pardon to all gay and bi men unjustly prosecuted for being who they are, but we don’t think it goes far enough. John Nicolson MP’s proposed bill closes a loophole that means some gay and bi men who are still alive and living with those convictions still can’t have them deleted, despite them being unjust and not illegal today. We urge the government to look at bringing this into their proposal.” What do you think? Has this law affected you or members of your family? What does the ruling mean to you? Does it go far enough? Do you think those affected should also be entitled to compensation? Share your thoughts and views. |