Under the Sexual Offences Act 1967 (as amended by the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000) homosexual acts are not illegal as long as both parties consent , both have reached the age of 16 AND the acts take place in private. Homosexual acts are defined in law as 'buggery' or 'gross indecency'.

An act is not done in private if more than two people are present or the act takes place in a lavatory which the public have or are permitted to have access.

This means technically as the law now stands gay sex in a public or semi-public place such as a toilet, park, beach or even a gay sauna is illegal.

Group gay sex/orgies at private clubs or parties are illegal. There is no equivalent law regulating the private sexual conduct of lesbians or heterosexuals.

However, in the European Court of Human Rights case ADT v The United Kingdom 2000 it was held that UK had violated the Applicants rights to privacy contrary to Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. In this case ADT was charged with Gross Indecency following a search of his house where video tapes were found with footage of him and up to four others having sex at his home.

Following this ruking the UK is now required to change the law. The Home Secretary in June 2002 announced that the Sexual Offences Act would be amended in the next session of Parliament. Note that the ruling only effects sexual conduct in private or semi private places.
one wrong law down loads more to go

and also
The Blair government will have to change legislation as early as this autumn after transsexual Miss Christine Goodwin won a landmark battle for the right to be recognised as a woman and marry under British law.

Miss Goodwin, a former bus driver, took her fight to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and today a panel of judges found in her favour.

The judgment unanimously held that the UK's failure to recognise her new identity in law breached her rights to respect for private life and her right to marry under the European Convention on Human Rights.

in both cases the goverment has been made to do what is right
now the same sex marriage laws need changeing

Seems like so many governments are so slow to change what has basically become a "non-issue" for most people. Axe TY for letting us know how things are going in your country....funny which is the real crime....discrimination or sexuality??

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