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Criminal Law

Stonewall believes that criminal law should treat everyone equally.

We’ve come a long way:

• In 2001 we finally achieved an equal age of consent.
  
• In 2000 we brought a case to the European Court of Human Rights successfully challenging our gross indecency laws.
  
• In 1994 we campaigned successfully for recognition of the offence of male rape.
  
• In 2003 we achieved a repeal of the Victorian anti-gay sexual offences of gross indecency and buggery which comes into force in May 2004.
  
• In 2003 we achieved the recognition of homophobic assault as a 'hate crime'.

In our work with the police and research on hate crimes we have helped increase awareness of homophobic attacks. Homophobic hate crime is now recognised as an offence in England and Wales. Similar processes to recognise homophobic assault as 'hate crime' have also started in Northern Ireland. The Scottish Executive has published recommendations following a consultation exercise in 2004. Click to view the Working Group on Hate Crime Report 2004.

There is more to do, but criminal law is less and less about persecuting gay men and more and more about protecting lesbians, gay men and bisexuals from abuse, violence and persecution.

If you cannot find the information you need on this website, you can call our info line on 08000 50 20 20 (Mon-Fri 9.30am- 5.30pm) and we will try to point you in the right direction.

* Stonewall accept no responsibility for the content of external sites.