Resources

Judgment of the Constitutional Court of South Africa confirming that the common law offence of sodomy, the inclusion of sodomy in schedules to certain Acts of Parliament, and a section of the Sexual Offences Act which prohibited sexual conduct between men in certain circumstances, were all unconstitutional.

Judgment of the Supreme Court of Canada finding in favour of a gay man who was dismissed from his job because of his sexual orientation. The Supreme Court held that sexual orientation was indeed a prohibited ground of discrimination and that IRPA should be interpreted as such.

Landmark decision of the UN Human Rights Committee finding that criminalisation of sexual relations between consenting males is a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Crucially, the Committee noted that the reference to ‘sex’ in Article 26 (equality before the law) and in Article 2(1) (non-discrimination) included sexual orientation.

Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights that the criminalisation of homosexual acts under Section 171 of the Criminal Code of Cyprus violated Article 8 (right to private life) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

A landmark decision of the European Court of Human Rights concerning the limitations to the right to freedom of expression. The Court held that an injunction restricting providing and receiving information about abortion violated Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Judgment of the Supreme Court of Kentucky striking down the state sodomy law. The Court held that the statute violated the protection of privacy and equal protection under the Kentucky Constitution.