Decriminalisation Flashcards
What is decriminalisation?
The process of making an act or omission no longer illegal.
What causes decriminalisation?
It often occurs following a change in social attitudes towards an activity which leads to pressure to decriminalise the act.
What were the laws surrounding homosexuality in the UK prior to the mid 20th century?
Homosexuality was criminalised. Homosexual acts between men were illegal and could lead to imprisonment.
What led to the decriminalisation of homosexuality?
The campaign for the decriminalisation of homosexuality gained momentum in the 1950s and 1960s, influenced by the Wolfenden Report in 1957, which recommended that private, consensual homosexual acts between adults be decriminalised.
What act decriminalised homosexuality in the UK and when?
The sexual offences act 1967 decriminalised homosexual acts between men aged 21 and over in England and Wales, provided they took place in private. Scotland followed suit in 1980, and Northern Ireland in 1982.
What was happening in Portugal in the late 1990s?
A severe drug crisis, with high rates of drug addiction and overdose deaths.
When and why was the possession and personal use of drugs decriminalised in Portugal?
In 2001. Instead of arresting individuals caught with small amounts of drugs, they were referred to a ‘Dissuasion Commission’ made up of legal, social, and health professionals, who can recommend treatment or impose civil penalties like fines or community service.
What were the abortion laws in the United States before Roe v Wade?
Abortion laws varied across the US. In many states, abortion was criminalised except in cases where it was necessary to save the life of the mother.
What led to Roe v Wade?
Roe v Wade was brought by ‘Jane Roe’, a woman who called the state’s ban on abortion. Her legal team argued that the law violated her constitutional right to privacy.
What was the Supreme Court ruling on January 22, 1973?
The US Supreme Court ruled in a 7-2 decision that the Texas law banning abortion was unconstitutional. The courts decision was based on the right to privacy, which is interpreted from the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment.
