Ac1.2 Flashcards
Reasons why homosexuality law changed over time?-Wolfenden report
Report published in 1957 recommended homosexual acts between consenting adults aged 21 should be legalised in private areas.
After ww2 there was an increase in prosecutions of gay men-set up committee to consider to reform of law.
Reasons why homosexuality law changed over time?campaigns
-homosexual law reform society-successfully campaigned for the change in law-legalised gay sex in 1967-Polictican Roy Jenkins supported campaign for change led to necessary legalisation.
-stonewall led to equalising consent aged 16.
Explain how laws differ culture to culture-polygamy
It is legal (58 countries) India and Singapore-Legal in many Muslim majority countries.
It is illegal in Turkey and Tunisia,UK(7 yrs prison)
reasons for cultural variations
religion-Qur an allows men to have up to 4 wives,in the USA some Mormons practice illegally.
tradition.-Polgamy is traditionally practiced in many African counties.
War-shortage of men-protect women’s rights+=look after women
Explain how laws differ from culture-culture-Adultery
It is legal in the UK and South Korea
It is illegal in 21 US states (Florida and Arizona)punished by
imprisonment,phillipines,Muslim majority countries.
Reasons for variation-Religoun-more conservative countries-more likely to punish adultery-It is a contentment shared by Christianity,Islam and Judaism.
-Status of women-illegal in countries where status of women is low.
Explain how laws differ from culture to culture-homoesexuality
-Legal-UK,Europe,N and S America.
-illegal in Saudi Arabia,pakistan,Iran,Male homesxuality is illegal in 72 countries 45 are lesbian relationships,6 countries punish it by death.
-Reasons for cultural variations include religoun-many conservative countries condemn homosexuality.
-sexism-Male homosexuality illegal in more countries.
-public opinion-poll in some countries show higher levels of support for a ban.(E.G 95% poll for ban in Egypt.)
Explain how low is differ from culture to culture cannabis use
Possession is illegal in the UK up to 5 years imprisonment
Canada and Yurie have legalised it sale
Portugal have decriminalised possession for personal use
-reasons for cultural variation is different norms and values
-differeent ideas about how to control drug use:Some countries see decriminalisation as a way to take out criminal dealers and other think harsh sentences work better.
Reasons why homosexuality law changed?-politicions
Roy Jenkins supported the campaign for change. He introduced the necessary legalisation in 1967.
Orders have introduced further legalisation such as 2010 equality act which outlaws discrimination of grounds of sexual orentation .
How laws change over time-Gun control laws?
Changes overtime in the UK laws governing access to firearms changed following 2mass shootings
1996-Dublin’s massacre
Most of the weapons used, including several semiautomatics capable of rapidly firing multiple rounds.
-1997-John majors conservative govermnet introduced an act banning all handguns-except 22 single shot weapons.
-Tony Blair’s goverment introduced a second fire arms act banning the remaining handguns as well-1997
-It is it is illegal to now own a handgun in Great Britain
How homosexuality changes over time?
-illegal in the uk in 1885-homosexual acts
-legal in England and wales in 1967-sexual offences act
-legal in Scotland in 1980
-legal in Northern Ireland in 1982
-1994 age of consent lowered to 18
-in 2000 age of consent was lowered to 16-Sexual offences amendment act
-2002-same sex couples allowed to adopt
-2005-Civil partnership act
-England and wales right to have same sex marriage-2013 same sex couples act
Reasons why gun control laws changed over time?
-The gun control network set up by lawyers, academics and parents of victims to campaign for tiighter gun control laws.
-The snowdrop campaign started by bereaved Dublin parents and their friends organised a petition and collected 750,000 signatures called in for a change in the law.
How drug laws change over time?
-Portuguese case-2001 possession of drugs was changed from a crime to a civil offence,if the quantity involved was less than for a 10 day personal supply.
Reasons for change-after a revolution in 1975 Portugal became a democracy-and increase openness of the country led to a large influx of drugs
-decriminisaltion-drug use should be regarded as a public health issue aimed at harm reduction rather than an issue for the criminal justice system-referred to support services rather than being prosecuted.
-since change in law drug use has fallen sharply.
Reasons why drug laws changed over time?
-rapid growth in drug addiction in Portugal after 1975-led to calls for drastic action to tackle problem.
-It was also felt that as a poor country the new law would reduce the costs resulting from drug use .
How laws differ from culture to culture+place
-homosexuality
-polygamy
-cannabis use
-adultery
How laws change over time?
Talk about homosexuality,gun control laws and drug laws
Name the 4 reasons why homosexuality law changed over time?
Wolfredan report,campaigns and polictions and also changes in public opinion/attitudes began to hold more tolerant views to homosexuality-no longer seen as deviant.
Explain the social contrsuction of criminality
-no universal law
-laws are constructed by societies-they are not naturally occurring.laws reflect the social norms,values and mores,these laws are fluid and change with societies attitudes.
-laws are different in across place culture,time
-Therefore what counts as criminal is whichever acts society defines as criminal.
How laws are applied differently according to circumstances?
-Homicide act
-Age of criminal responsibility
-Actus reads and men’s rea
-Conditional caution
-Criminal convictions
-Moral panic
How laws are applied diffetnley according to circumstances-Moral panic
-Public outrage or fear in certain situations may mean the offender is treated more harshly.
