laws change over time Flashcards
what are the 5 laws of laws that have changed over time?
homosexuality
drug laws
gun laws
laws relating to children
laws concerning physical punishment
how has homosexuality changed over time?
1533-all homosexual acts illegal and punishable by death penalty
1868-punishment changed to life in prison
1967-legalised for men over 21
1994-age of consent lowered to 18
2000-age of consent lowered to 16
2014-gay marriage legalised
what are the 2 reasons why homosexuality laws changed?
wolfenden report
campaigns
explain Wolfenden Report:
after WWII there was an increase in prosecutions of gay men (1954 there were over 1000 gay men in prison)
Sir John Wolfenden considered reform of the law
after that law got changed in 1967
explain campaigns to change homosexuality laws:
Homosexual Law Reform Society successfully campaigned for change in law that legalised gay sex in 1967
further campaigns e.g Stonewall and the Campaign for Homosexuality Equality led to eventually equalising age of consent at 16
homosexuality key case:
Alan Turing
prosecuted in 1952 for ‘gross indecency’ because of his homosexuality
to avoid prison he underwent chemical castration which caused him immense suffering and inability to continue work
how have drug laws changed over time?
Portugal 2001
legal if quantity was less than for a 10 day supply
seen as a health issue rather than a crime
reasons why drug laws changed:
there was a sudden and rapid growth in drug addiction in Portugal
by 1990s 1 in every 100 addicted to heroin
also felt as a relatively poor country the new law would reduce the costs resulting from drug use
one source points to a saving of 18%
why were gun control laws changed:
after 2 mass shootings in the UK
what was the 1st mass shooting in the UK that led to change in laws?
1987
Michael Ryan
he was an unemployed antique wormer that shot and killed 16 people in Hungerford, Berkshire
what was the 2nd mass shooting in the UK that led to change in laws?
1996
Thomas Hamilton
he was an unemployed scout leader that shot and killed 16 children and 1 teacher at Dunblane primary school near Stirling in Scotland
when were gun control laws changed?
1997- banned most handguns
later that year- banned the remaining handguns
reasons why gun control laws changed:
The Gun Control Network- set up by lawyers, academics and parents of victims to campaign for tighter gun control laws
The Snowdrop Campaign- started by parents and friends of Dunblane victims, organised a petition and collected 750,000 signatures calling for a change in the law
views on whether punishments should differ between children and adults:
Aries found ‘the idea of childhood did not exist’ in the 13th century
laws often made no distinction between children and adults
the idea of childhood has now become more child centred as parents focus emotionally and financially on the state of their child and take interest in the child’s wellbeing
examples of laws relating to children:
compulsory schooling-1880
laws excluding children from paid work- in 19th century children as young as 6 were working in cotton mills, mines etc but now they are excluded
laws and policies only applying to children- minimum ages for certain activities e.g sex and smoking
what were the 2 types of physical punishment in the past:
+examples
capital punishment-hanging
corporal punishment-caning/branding with hot irons etc
when was capital punishment abolished in Britain?
1965
reasons for change of laws concerning physical punishment:
capital punishment seen as breach of human rights
nothing can be done to correct a miscarriage of justice (executed when innocent)
death penalty doesn’t seem to be a deterrent
physical punishment has been replaced by self control
