Sex offenders no more: Historical homosexual offences expungement legislation in Australia

The capability to remove homosexual offences from a criminal record has finally been adopted across Australia with the introduction of expungement legislation. This article analyses the reasons for its introduction, considers the number of people affected and suggests that a pardon, similar to the T...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Alternative law journal 2019-12, Vol.44 (4), p.297-301
Main Author: George, Allen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Criminal justice, Administration of
Criminal records
Discrimination
Expungement
Homosexuality
Law
Law and legislation
Legal studies
Legislation
Legislators
LGBTQ people
Restorative justice
Sex offenders
Sexual minorities
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Summary:The capability to remove homosexual offences from a criminal record has finally been adopted across Australia with the introduction of expungement legislation. This article analyses the reasons for its introduction, considers the number of people affected and suggests that a pardon, similar to the Turing Law in the UK, may address the low number of applications. The passing of this legislation not only restores the offender, it also allows current legislators to address the injustice of their predecessors' actions and to demonstrate continued support for LGBTIQ communities.
ISSN:1037-969X
2398-9084
DOI:10.1177/1037969X19856169