The Historical Sexual Offences (Pardons and Disregards) (Scotland) Bill had its final stage 3 debate in the Scottish Parliament, yesterday afternoon (June 7). The Bill, that pardons people convicted of the old discriminatory offences involving sex between men was passed by a vote of 119-0.
The Scottish Government’s Historical Sexual Offences (Pardons and Disregards) (Scotland) Bill becomes law today. The bill provides a pardon for people who were convicted of the historical discriminatory ‘homosexual offences’ between men, which are no longer crimes. It also provides a way for people with these convictions to have them removed from their criminal records (called a ‘disregard’) so that they do not appear on criminal record checks for jobs and volunteer posts.
