The relationship between law and social change is a complex one. Some laws help to shape public opinions but others seek to respond to changing social attitudes and behaviours. The law’s role becomes especially controversial in matters of social morality. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the topic of homosexuality, where the law’s attempts to reflect changing social values represent a journey from strict prohibition to a set of rights that the criminal law will uphold and support.
Homosexuality refers to male and female (lesbian) same-sex relationships. The criminal law had created offences relating to male homosexual practices.
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