Paul Murphy urges action to discard historic gay convictions
Paul Murphy criticised the continued existence of historic convictions for being gay and demanded immediate action to disregard those convictions. He said a working group was set up in 2021 and the minister has promised heads of bill, but no legislation has followed and the delay is unacceptable.
Paul Murphy said it is outrageous that people are still walking around with historic convictions for the so-called crime of being gay and called for those convictions to be disregarded.
He noted a working group was set up back in 2021 to examine disregarding those convictions but "nothing has still been done." The minister has promised there will be heads of bill in due course, a timetable Paul Murphy described as decades overdue.
The speaker framed disregarding historic convictions as a concrete legal remedy to right an historic wrong, urging the government to move from study and promise to legislation.
Paul Murphy warned that this is not only about legal redress but also about sending a message when LGBTQ rights are under attack in this country and globally - that love is love and homosexuality is never a crime.
Historic convictions criticised
Paul Murphy said it is outrageous that people are still walking around with historic convictions for the so-called crime of being gay and called for those convictions to be disregarded.
Government delay and promises
He noted a working group was set up back in 2021 to examine disregarding those convictions but "nothing has still been done." The minister has promised there will be heads of bill in due course, a timetable Paul Murphy described as decades overdue.
Legal remedy and redress
The speaker framed disregarding historic convictions as a concrete legal remedy to right an historic wrong, urging the government to move from study and promise to legislation.
Wider context for LGBTQ rights
Paul Murphy warned that this is not only about legal redress but also about sending a message when LGBTQ rights are under attack in this country and globally - that love is love and homosexuality is never a crime.
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Transcript
It is outrageous that there are still people today walking around with historic convictions for the so-called crime of being gay. The Government will say of course that no one should be criminalised for consensual sexual activity, but a working group was set up to examine disregarding those convictions back in 2021 and nothing has still been done. The Minister has promised there will be heads of bill in due course, but due course in this case is decades overdue. Well here we have an answer. This is not just a matter of righting an historic wrong, it is about sending a message at a time when LGBTQ rights are under attack in this country and globally that love is love and homosexuality is never a crime.