When thousands of people petitioned Parliament for pardons for those convicted of historic consensual homsexual sex, Justice Minister Amy Adams dismissed the issue as "too difficult". Now apparently she's bringing a pardon plan to Cabinet:
It has taken 30 years but men convicted of homosexual acts could get the right to apply for a pardon next year.
1 NEWS has confirmed the Cabinet will consider a plan to clear convictions before the 1986 law change that meant homosexuality was no longer illegal.
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But there won't be a blanket pardon. Men or their families will have to apply for one. That's because some convictions were for sex with a minor, which is still a crime.
"I believe many of the public would like to see this happen and it should happen... just on the grounds of natural justice people should not have this shadow over them for the rest of their lives," Mr Jolliff said.
Good. The historic persecution of homosexuals was a crime, and the least we can do for its victims is pardon them. What's inexplicable is why it has taken the government so long to recognise this. But I guess when the senior Cabinet is stuffed with bigots, there will be institutional resistance.
