“It is now accepted that consensual acts between two adult men should have never been a crime … The Liberal government, led by Sir Rupert Hamer, recognised this and decriminalised homosexual sex in the 1980s. We also recognise the social and psychological impacts that have been experienced by those who have historical convictions for acts which would no longer be a crime under today’s law.”
So said Victorian Premier Denis Napthine at the launch of Melbourne’s Midsumma Festival in January.
Yesterday, Victoria became the first state to erase the criminal records of men who were previously convicted of having gay sex.
Acts such as “loitering for homosexual purposes” and “buggery” should never have been legislated a crime. More than 30 years after these crimes were taken out of the Crimes and Summary Offences acts, Victoria has now gone some way to righting that wrong.
Members of the Napthine government should be congratulated for their initiative. In 2014, it’s well past time the other states followed Victoria’s lead.
Agree, Crikey.
But the timing of the Premier’s actions in this regard do seem a little sus….
Few weeks before an election? Maybe I’m just naturally cynical!!!!
Smells like Intervention….?
Meanwhile, in Qld, Attorney-General Doogie Wowser says such an action is “not a priority” as the Qld LNP Government is “getting on with it’s 4 pillars policy”…
Credit where it is due. Which raises the inevitable question, when drug laws finally become rational, will all those who have had their lives destroyed or careers blighted by convictions which should never have been on the statute books be similarly cleansed?
The current ‘medical marijuana’ push by Alan Jones on behalf of the seriously ill son of a career drug squad detective would be enhanced were the father to acknowledge the harm he’d done busting all those people in northern NSW over the last 2 decades.
“4 pillars”? Sounds like the outside of the Roman Senate… here comes Campbell Caesar?