New Zealand passes law to wipe historical homosexual conviction

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New Zealand’s parliament has passed legislation to erase historic convictions for engaging in gay sex, saying the bill would help right past injustices.

While consensual sex between men aged 16 and over has been legal in New Zealand since 1986, men with historical homosexual convictions can face ongoing stigma and prejudice.

Lawmakers unanimously passed a bill late Tuesday allowing people convicted of consensual homosexual sex to have their records expunged.

“I would like to apologize to all the men and members of the rainbow community who have been affected by the prejudice, stigma and other negative effects caused by convictions for historical homosexual offences,” Justice Minister Andrew Little said, adding the government are committed to put right wrongs from the past.

The justice department said the convictions related to three offences that were dropped in 1986 – sodomy, indecency between males and keeping a place of resort for homosexual acts.

With estimates about 1,000 people will be eligible to apply and have their records wiped when the scheme takes effect next year, family members can also apply to have the records of a deceased relative cleared.

New Zealand passed laws banning discrimination against gays in 1993 and 2013, it became the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to legalize same-sex marriage.

Source(s): AFP