U.K. lowers homosexual age of consent

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, DEC. 1. In a rare and controversial move, the British Government on Thursday overruled the House of Lords to get the Commons to pass a legislation lowering the age of consent for gay teenagers from 18 to 16.

The age of consent for heterosexual is already 16, and the law as it stood until Thursday's legislation was deemed to be discriminating.

The move, which coincided with the 100th death anniversary of Oscar Wilde, the most famous of gay writers, was hailed as a `milestone' by gay rights campaigners even as the more conservative opinion denounced it on `moral' grounds saying it would open the floodgates for sexual permissiveness.

The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of Westminster were among the clerics who strongly objected to it. Several Tory MPs also resisted the move and urged the Speaker of the House of Commons, Mr. Michael Martin, not to certify the Bill for royal assent.

Lady Young, who led a long and bitter campaign against the move, accused the Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, of behaving in ``a completely dictatorial manner'' towards Parliament. She was livid that the House was not allowed to debate an amendment made by the House of Lords to protect the more vulnerable teenagers.

She echoed the fears of those who think that the legislation is likely to make 16-year-olds open to `abuse' by older gay persons. The critics of the bill think the safeguards it provides are not sufficient.

The gay rights campaigners however welcomed it saying it had corrected a historical anamoly, and was a major step towards equality between heterosexuals and others.

``My only regret is that it has taken 33 years during which time hundreds of gay men have been unjustly jailed,'' said an activist.

The Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill was blocked by the House of Lords three times - first in 1998, then in April last year, and again last month.

The Parliament Act permits the Government to push through a legislation if the House of Lords repeatedly refuses to approve a measure passed by the Commons.

The Act has been rarely invoked, this being only the second time in 10 years. The bill brings the British law in line with the European Convention.

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Section  : International
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