Scheme to disregard historic convictions for sex between men seeks public submissions

A public consultation that will inform a scheme to disregard historic criminal convictions related to sexual activity between men has been opened by the Government.

Affected persons and representative organisations are being asked to provide input on a number of key issues, based on their lived experience.

Their responses will inform the final recommendations of a working group which is examining the development of a scheme to disregard convictions for consensual sexual activity between men prior to decriminalisation in 1993.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said: “We want to ensure that any potential scheme is as effective and accessible as possible so that we can exonerate those impacted by these outdated laws and address some of the lingering harms of the past.

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“I would encourage any of the affected men, their families, loved ones and the wider LGBTQ+ community to engage with this consultation so that we can be mindful of their unique perspectives as we move forward.”

The consultation survey will consist of seven questions, based on key issues identified by the working group that would benefit from stakeholder input.

Deadline date

The survey will ask how a potential scheme could be made more accessible, how to encourage participation in the scheme and how to minimise the potential for re-traumatising applicants, among other issues.

The deadline for completion of the survey is 5pm on December 9th.

Following the close of the consultation, the working group will prepare a summary report which will give an overview of the submissions received, identifying key themes that will inform its final recommendations.

Ms McEntee added: “The damage that was caused by these laws continues to impact negatively on too many people’s lives.

“While we cannot undo the hurt inflicted on people who were discriminated against for simply being themselves, we can contribute to the healing process.

“This consultation is another important step … towards addressing the individual harm that was done to generations of gay and bisexual men, while also showing that we are willing to revisit and confront uncomfortable aspects of our past.”