Northern Ireland will offer gay men pardons

The government of North Ireland will offer pardons to gay and bi men who were convicted in the past under homophobic laws.

The new statute has been referred to as Turing’s Law, after the mathematician and computing innovator Alan Turing. Turing was a gay man driven to suicide by the British government after World War II.

A law was passed in Northern Ireland’s legislative assembly two years ago. In 2018, the statute came into full effect.

To be pardoned, gay and bi men must file paperwork with the Justice Ministry. Once completed, the pardon process removes the criminal blot from said record. Posthumous pardons will also be offered. Similar pardons have been extended in Wales and in England since the year 2017.

According to the BBC, “Convictions that are disregarded will be considered as never having happened and will no longer appear on criminal records.”