Gay Men Convicted Of Now-Abolished Sex Offences To Be Pardoned

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37711518

And not before time, in my humble opinion !

[douglas9401]

Paul Twocock? Forgive my juvenile smirk.

As to the rest, it matters not a jot to the dead. and Mr Montague's point is well made. Apology not grandstanding would be more apt.

[naomi24]

I never see the point of ‘apologising’ to people affected by outdated laws. ‘Pardoning’ them implies wrong-doing. Acknowledging that the law was a poor one is more appropriate.

[Islay]

For once I agree with Naomi, in this case it was the law that was 'wrong' the people involved were doing nothing wrong.

[ummmm]

My son is gay and he's just said this is completely pointless.

[dannyk13]

/// Apology not grandstanding would be more apt///.I disagree. He committed an offence as the law stood at that time.A pardon is appropriate.

[youngmafbog]

it's all pretty pointless and will just give more fuel to those who are homophobic.

[naomi24]

Danny, a ‘pardon’ is an insult. The law was wrong.

[Islay]

I can see many families and persons turning down the pardon on principle.

[dannyk13]

Naomi, wrong or not, it was the law at the time.

[mushroom25]

laudable enough; but why only gays? there are plenty of other laws - some which carried punitive punishments - that are no longer on the statute books. why are these people not being pardoned as well?

[dannyk13]

A good point Mushroom, but where do you draw the line.

[ummmm]

Mushroom - that's why it makes it pretty pointless.

[naomi24]

Danny, yes it was, but a ‘pardon’ implies wrong-doing, and if we now acknowledge that the law was wrong, we must also acknowledge that there was no wrong-doing. We can only 'pardon' wrong-doing. We can't 'pardon' people for doing nothing wrong.

[EDDIE51]

^ mushroom I think you will find that has already happened with other laws that are no longer on the statute books.

[dannyk13]

Naomi, likewise you cannot apologise if you have done nothing wrong.

[dannyk13]

Eddie , can you cite any instances?

[jackthehat]

The men who are still living with this Criminal Conviction should have it completely expunged and receive an apology.

I'm not sure a retrospective Pardon achieves much but it is gratifying to know that most of Society now believes that the law as it stood was pernicious and that no such law could be enacted now.

[naomi24]

Mushroom, I not sure that works, People who were, for example, transported to Australia for stealing a loaf of bread had in fact stolen a loaf of bread and were punished for that – albeit harshly. I doubt the crime of theft will ever be removed from the statute books – and nor should it be.

[dannyk13]

jackthehat,an apology from whom? The legislators who passed the act, any police officer who ever made an arrest?

[naomi24]

Danny at 08.35. Exactly.