The wolfenden committees report on homosexual offences and on prostitution is out at last, after three years preparation. The british journal of venereal diseases 1957 12 feedback complete survey. Sport wolfenden committees report hansard, 28 april 1961 search help. Thestreet offences committee 1927, under the chairmanship ofmr. Male homosexuality had been illegal in england since the buggery act of 1533 female homosexuality was never specified. It was 155 pages long and recommended that homosexual behaviour between consenting adults in private should no longer be considered a criminal offence.
Wolfenden report, 1957, conclusion the british library. Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article. Wolfenden report synonyms, wolfenden report pronunciation, wolfenden report translation, english dictionary definition of wolfenden report. Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. The wolfenden report, a 1957 british government study officially entitled the report of the committee on. Full text full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community is to. The wolfenden report europe pmc article europe pmc. The report of the wolfenden committee was published in 1957 and contained a series of recommendations. What is less well known is that the testimonials and written statements of the witnesses before the wolfenden committee provide by far the most complete and extensive array of perspectives we have on how homosexuality was understood in midtwentieth century britain.
The wolfenden committee on sport members sir john wolfenden, c. This led to calls for an enquiry into the legality of homosexuality and prostitution. The 1967 liberalisation of the law followed the wolfenden report on homosexuality and prostitution in 1957 which recommended the decriminalisation of homosexuality between consenting adults over. Wolfendens witnesses homosexuality in postwar britain. Report of committee on homosexual offences and prostitution. Homosexual offences and prostitution, is significant in. The wolfenden report referred to the governing bodies, of one of whom i have the honour to be president. Its findings were published in the wolfenden report in 1957. It is unanimous except on the point where some difference of opinion is recorded. The cabinet papers before and after the wolfenden report. Wolfenden report identity politics discrimination scribd. Wolfenden report definition and meaning collins english. So what are you doing to stay sane while you try not to be bitter about those who complain to be bored. Perils and pleasures in the sexual metropolis, 1918 1957.
The wolfenden committee put together a report, after their threeyear enquiry. This incisive book deals with the use of the criminal law to enforce morality, in particular sexual morality, a subject of particular interest and importance since the publication of the wolfenden report in 1957. Catalogue description report of committee on homosexual offences and prostitution cmnd. This and other cases led the conservative government to set up a departmental committee under sir john wolfenden, vicechancellor of reading university, to. The future of voluntary organisations wolfenden report. Here i argue that those participants in the broadcast who are sympathetic with liberal reforms of the legislation on homosexuality utilize discourses related to normality and the publicprivate domains to discursively construct the. The wolfenden report is by no means a radical statement.
The report was published 5th september 1957 and attracted a large amount of publicity. Wolfenden report, a study containing recommendations for laws governing sexual behaviour, published in 1957 by the committee on homosexual offences and prostitution in great britain. The wolfenden report of 1957 has long been recognized as a landmark in moves towards gay law reform. The wolfenden report the report of the committee on homosexual offences and prostitution to give it its full name is anenlightened andrealistic documentandreflects the greatest credit on the civilized andhumaneoutlook ofthe members ofthe committee. The wolfenden report as it is commonly known, drove interalia facility development, shared use of facilities, the financial support for governing bodies of sport, exchequer funding for sport initiatives and indeed shaped the governance of sport development in the uk by proposing a national council for the development of sport, although not. Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 521k, or click on a page image below to browse page by page. In august 1954 the government set up the wolfenden committee, named after its chairman, john wolfenden. The sexual offences act became law, determining much police activity against homosexuals in the uk for the rest of the century. Professor hart first considers john stuart mills famous declaration. Personally, i would be reading all the things, baking all the things, becoming fluent in french, fixing up my garden and planning my adventures for when covid19 also known as all this stuff is no longer a massively disrupting force in our lives. A free vote in 1967 passed the sexual offences act and. Offences committee 1927, under the chairmanship of mr. But it would take 10 more years of lobbying and activism before the sexual offences act 1967 achieved this.
The wolfenden report of 1957 famously advocated that consenting men over the age of 21 should be free to have sex in private. Sport wolfenden committees report hansard, 28 april. Catalogue description report of committee on homosexual. In the 1950s a commission was established by the government under the chairmanship of sir john wolfenden to investigate the issue of whether the laws that criminalised homosexuality and prostitution should be changed. Our vision is to lead and transform information management, guarantee the survival of todays information for tomorrow and bring history to life for everyone. It was named for sir john wolfenden, the chairman of the committee. Full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Oscar wilde, it was the wolfenden report and the twentieth century that created. The proposal is the principal and most controversial recommendation put forward by the member committee chaired by sir john wolfenden, vicechancellor of reading university, investigating the current law on homosexuality and prostitution. Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 1k, or click on a page image below to browse page by page. Wolfenden60 sets to explore the report, unearthing the undocumented history and legacy created by lord john wolfenden and his committee. Pdf discipline, punishment and the homosexual in law. Wolfenden report definition of wolfenden report by the. Several positions are available, each with its own set of difficulties.
The publication of the report of the committee on homosexual offences and prostitution hereafter the wolfenden report in 1957 was the first major investigation by any national authority in britain into homosexual behaviour. Read download little feminist mini memory match game pdf. Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 521k, or click on a page image below to browse page by. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise cambridge core to connect with your account. Indeed, the wolfenden report directly influenced the american bar associations model penal code, which repealed sodomy laws and which was adopted first by illinois in 1961, and the 1969 decision by canada to decriminalize homosexual relations among consenting adults in private. The 1957 wolfenden report recommended that adult homosexuality be legalised and condemned the criminalisation of homosexual acts as an impingement of civil liberty.
The wolfenden committee accepted this state ment as, in general. Part 1 is an introduction which maps out the major debates surrounding homosexuality in the 1950s and provides a concise history of the inquiry and subsequent wolfenden report of 1957 which controversially recommended that homosexual behaviour between consenting adults aged 21 years and over in private should no longer be a criminal offence. For commentators such as jeffrey weeks, the wolfenden report, by rede. Report of the departmental committee on homosexual. Pdf this article examines the creation and legacy of the 1957 wolfenden report, arguing that current trends to. In october 1957, the central council of physical recreation decided to appoint a small independent committee to examine the general position of sport in this country and to recommend what action should be taken by statutory and voluntary bodies if games, sports and outdoor activities were to play their full part in promoting the general welfare of the community. The period between the publication in 1957 of the liberalising wolfenden report and the introduction in 1987 of the homophobic section 28 was characterised by unprecedented optimism and political activism among lesbians and gay men in britain. The report of the departmental committee on homosexual offences and prostitution was published in the united kingdom on 4 september 1957 after a. Possibly, the committee misinterpreted a little the powers of those bodies, and this may have an important bearing in considering our problem. The law became a lot stricter in 1885 with the criminal law amendment act, which made all homosexual acts illegal, even. Less well known is that the wolfenden committee papers provide by far the most extensive array of perspectives we have on how homosexuality was understood in britain in the midtwentieth century.
A report sponsored by the government has suggested homosexual behaviour between consenting adults should no longer be a criminal offence. Its 1957 report recommended partially decriminalising male homosexual acts. If prior historiansmost notably jeffrey weekscelebrate the wolfenden report in 1957 and the sexual offences act in 1967. Report of the departmental committee on homosexual offences. The future of voluntary organisations wolfenden report, croom helm, london, 1978. Download our english dictionary apps available for both ios and android.
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