Laws changed over time

Created by

Francesca Blythe

Cards (24)

Name 5 laws that have changed over time
Homosexuality
Drug laws
Gun control
Children
Physical punishment
How has the laws surrounding homosexuality changed over time?
UK- acts between men were illegal in 1885 with life imprisonment. Was legalised in England and Wales in 1967 for men aged 21+. In Scotland in 1980 and Northern Ireland in 1982.
Age of consent - reduced to 18 in 1994 and equalised in 2000 with heterosexual relationships to 16
Britain introduced many laws to their colonies - in India it was made a crime in 1861 but this was broken in 2018
What are 4 reasons as to why the laws around homosexuality changed?
Wolfendan report
campaigns
politicians
human rights
How did the wolfenden report influence the laws surrounding homosexuality? 
After WW2 there was an increase in prosecutions around gay men.
A committee was set up and after gathering evidence from police and psychologists, in 1957 homosexual acts in private was legalised
Which campaign influenced the change of laws around homosexuality? 
Homosexual Law Reform Society - legalised gay sex in 1967. Stonewall and Homosexual equality led to age of consent at 16.
Which politician helped influence the change of laws surrounding homosexuality? 
Roy Jenkins supported campaigns and was Home secretary he introduced the legislation in 1967 which helped influence the 2010 equality act
How does Human Rights influence laws surrounding homosexuality? 
In India, they believe the State had no right to control citizen‘s private lives
What are 2 ideas as to the changes of drug laws over time? 
Portuguese case
Public Health
Explain the portuguese case
2001 possession of drugs changed from crime to criminal offence
hard drugs - heroin and soft drugs - cannabis between 1930-1975 were made illegal under a strict right wing dictatorship: coca cola was banned and you had to have a license for cigarettes.
There was a revolution in 1975 which caused a large influx of drugs seen to be the highest rate of heroin addiction
What did the Public Health organisation do surrounding drug laws? 
Issued a harm reduction - instead of prosecution they are referred to services to help
Drug use has fallen
HIV infections among addicts are almost non-existent
Death from drugs are now the lowest in Europe
What are 2 reasons as to why Drug Laws have changed?
Growth in addiction - In Portugal after 1975—1990s - 1/100 of the population was addicted to heroin
cost - Portugal was quite poor and law would reduce costs resulting from drug abuse - saved 18%
How has Gun control laws changed overtime?
UK illegalised it following 2 mass shootings
1987 - Michael Ryan unemployed antique dealer killed 16 people
1996 - Thomas Hamilton ex scout leader killed 16 children and a teacher in a primary school - he legally owned a semi-automatic
These 2 shootings resulted in gun laws tightening in 1997
What were the 2 political parties that helped illegalise guns? 
John Major’s Conservative Party - introduced an act banning all handguns except 22 single shot gun weapons
Tony Blair’s government introduced a second firearms act banning remaining handguns
currently apart from historic and sporting weapons it is illegal to own a handgun in Great Britain
What are 2 reasons as to why gun control laws have changed? 
Gun control network - set up by lawyers, academics, parents of victims to campaign for tighter gun control
Snowdrop campaign - by bereaved dunblane (primary school where Thomas Hamilton shot at) parents and friends organised a petition and collected 750,000 signatures for a change in law.
How has the idea of childhood changed overtime?
Until the 13th century the idea did not exist - children were made to work from an early age, they had the same rights and duties as adults, and would face the same severe punishments
Overtime the idea of it slowly developed as a separate stage of life and society became more child centred - parents invest in their children emotionally and financially
government takes care of the wellbeing
What are 5 laws that have changed around children? 
Laws excluding children from paid work
compulsory schooling
childwelfare protection and legislation
Children’s rights
laws and policies only apply to children
Outline laws excluding children from paid work
In 19th century children as young as 6 worked in cotton mills and coal mines therefore a series of factory acts gradually excluded them from working there
Outline compulsory schooling  
1880 ensured basic education for all
Outline Children welfare + protection legislation
2004 Children’s Act - child welfare was the fundamental principle of social services
Outline Children’s Rights  
United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child 1989 - Healthcare, education, protection from abuse
Outline - laws and policies only apply to children 
Minimum ages ( sex- smoking)
What are 2 types of punishment criminals could receive? 
Capital punishment - execution - murder and less serious crimes
1723 Black Act made over 50 offences of theft and poaching into capital crimes
Corporal punishment - flogging, canning, branding, put into stocks
How did the laws around the 2 types of punishment change? 
Overtime the number of offences carry the death penalty reduced until only for murder or treason
capital punishment abolished in 1965
corporal punishment also gradually disappeared
What are 4 reasons for changes of law concerning physical punishment? 
Capital punishment regarded as a breach of human rights
Nothing can be done to correct a miscarriage of justice - person executed later proved to be innocent
Death penalty does not act as a deterrent - most murders are committed in the heat of the moment without considering punishment
Changes in law are the result of long - term decline in violence - society has undergone a “civilising process” over the last 500yrs. Physical punishment turns into self control. Society has moved away from the idea of physical violence