GOV’T URGED TO ACT QUICKLY SO TAS NOT LAST AGAIN
Gay community advocates have welcomed a report supporting the expungement of gay criminal records.
The State Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Robin Banks, has provided the State Government with a report into the issue that makes a series of recommendations (below). The State Government has provided in-principle support for expunging criminal records for gay Tasmanians.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome said,
“It’s appropriate the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner’s report was lodged with the Government on May 1st because it marks the 18th anniversary of Tasmania becoming the last state to repeal laws against homosexuality.”
“Despite the repeal of our anti-gay laws, men arrested under those laws retain a criminal record that stigmatises them and can make it harder for them to obtain work or to volunteer.”
“Expungement legislation has already passed in three states and is close in two more, so I urge the State Government to act quickly to ensure Tasmania isn’t last again.”
Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Robin Banks, has recommended
– expungement of criminal records for private, consenting sex between adult males
– expungement of records related to other crimes such as male cross-dressing (illegal in Tasmania until 2001)
– expungement of offences associated with the above offences (e.g. incitement to commit relevant crimes)
– the possibility of posthumous expungement
– the possibility of expunging the criminal records of young people who were raped
– a dedicated scheme to assess applications for expungement
– the appointment of an expert panel to assess applications
– the separation of expunged records but not their destruction unless they are duplicates
A copy of the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner’s report can be found here:
http://www.antidiscrimination.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/314069/2015-04_FINAL_REPORT-Treatment_of_historic_records_for_consensual_homosexual_activity.pdf
A copy of the State Government’s media release is below …
1 May 2015
Vanessa Goodwin, Attorney-General
Anti-Discrimination Commissioner’s report
The Hodgman Liberal Government welcomes the completion of the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner’s report into expunging historic criminal records for consensual homosexual sexual activity.
The Liberals both in Opposition and in Government have supported the expunging of convictions for various historical offences that have since been repealed in Tasmania. Doing so will be a complex legal and legislative process and we will carefully consider the report and its recommendations.
Following careful consideration of the report we will be in a position to provide further clarity over the next steps in this process.
• Recorded on TT here
Australian Marriage Equality national director, Rodney Croome
