Delays In Homosexual Bill (Press, 31 August 1974)
This is a Generative AI summary of this newspaper article. It may contain errors or omissions. Please note that the language in the summary is reflective of the original article and the societal attitudes of the time in which it was written.
Summary: Delays In Homosexual Bill (Press, 31 August 1974)
On 30 August 1974, a report from the New Zealand Press Association indicated that parliamentary committee hearings regarding the Crimes Amendment Bill, which aims to decriminalise homosexual acts between consenting adult males in private, are unlikely to conclude before the end of the parliamentary year. The select committee formed to examine the bill, headed by Mr T. J. Young, a lawyer and Labour MP for Hutt, held its inaugural meeting that morning. During this meeting, Mr T. J. Young announced that the committee plans to start hearing evidence on 1 October. Due to other pressing commitments in Parliament, sessions for these hearings are expected to take place only on Tuesday mornings while Parliament is in session. With 26 groups already expressing their intention to submit evidence, the likelihood of completing the hearings before Parliament's adjournment appears slim. Mr Young also mentioned that while the press would generally be allowed to attend the hearings, the committee may seek the option to exclude reporters for particularly sensitive testimonies. Further reflecting on the topic, Mr V. S. Young, the bill’s sponsor and a National MP for Egmont, expressed gratitude for the thoughtful approach taken by the Roman Catholic Bishops regarding the issue of homosexual law reform. He noted that the Bishops' pastoral letter, to be read at masses on the following Sunday, did not explicitly endorse or condemn his proposals, but rather handled the sensitive matter with care. Mr V. S. Young, who is not a Roman Catholic, acknowledged the importance of addressing the challenging issues surrounding the rights of homosexual individuals and stressed the necessity for society to confront these matters responsibly. He articulated that his bill aims to clarify legal distinctions while reinforcing protections for vulnerable groups, asserting that the legislation cannot alter moral values but rather provide necessary legal definitions and social understanding.
Important Information
The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact
The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand