Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980

The Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980^[1] is an Act o the Pairlament o the Unitit Kinrick (citation 1980 c.62) concernin Scotland alane. It is the law thit decriminalised homosexual acts atween twa consentin men in the kintra, an cam intae force on 1 Februar 1981.^[2]

"Subject to the provisions of this section, a homosexual act in private shall not be an offence provided that the parties consent thereto and have attained the age of twenty-one years." (§80:1)

The law had a gey bit o support frae the kintra at lairge, especially amang the youth; a Sunday Mail survey o 1979 sayd thit twa-thirds o young Scots supported reform. Howsoever, it wis opponed bi monie kirk an civic leaders.^[3] The homosexual age o consent fixed bi the Act (21) wis ilka tae the homosexual age o consent in Ingland an Wales (exponed in the the Sexual Offences Act, whilk decriminalised homosexual acts in these pairts in 1967)^[4] but wis heicher than the age o consent fae heterosexual fowk in the Unitit Kinrick as a hale (16 yeir auld, as exponed in the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885).

Legacy

Follaein the passage o the Act, the Kirk began tae liberalise its views on homosexuality (altho still sayin that sex atween men wis sin).^[3]

The ages o consent for baith homosexual and heterosexual acts in Scotland eventually becam the same (16) wi the passage o the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000.

See an aw

• Homosexual Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 1982, the Order in Council whilk decriminalised homosexual acts in Northren Ireland.

References

1. "Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980". www.legislation.gov.uk (in Inglis). Expert Participation. Retrieved 4 September 2017.CS1 maint: others (link)
2. "THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE (SCOTLAND)ACT 1980 (Hansard, 17 December 1980)". hansard.millbanksystems.com (in Inglis). Archived frae the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
3. Davidson, Roger (2012). Sexual State: Sexuality and Scottish Governance 1950-80: Sexuality and Scottish Governance 1950-80 (in Inglis). Edinburgh University Press. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-7486-4943-3.
4. Knight, Charlotte; Wilson, Kath (2016). Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans People (LGBT) and the Criminal Justice System (in Inglis). Springer. p. 48. ISBN 978-1-137-49698-0.

Airtins ootwi the wiki

• "Original text of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980" (PDF). Office of Public Sector Information. Archived frae the original (PDF) on 16 Mey 2009. Retrieved 27 Mairch 2008. (in Inglis)
• "Text of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980 as amended and in force today". UK Statute Law Database. Archived frae the original on 30 Januar 2010. Retrieved 27 Mairch 2008. (in Inglis)