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Civil liberties - in brief (2)

01 May 1998

UK: MPs lower gay age of consent: MPs in the House of Commons voted overwhelmingly to lower the gay age of consent to sixteen in June. The reform, which was backed by the leaders of the three main political parties, will now face opposition in the unelected House of Lords, where it is expected to be opposed by Christian peers. MPs are also going to set up an all party parliamentary group to press for further gay rights reforms following the vote. The Finnish parliament also voted for "equalisation" in June. And in Germany the federal states of Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony have tabled a motion in the Bundesrat calling for same-sex partners to have the same rights as married couples. The bill calls for an end to legal discrimination against lesbian and gay couples. It would extend all privileges enjoyed by married couples to same sex partnerships, including the right to refuse to testify in court and the right to adopt children.

UK: Pain relief precedent? A man who grows marijuana to relieve pain caused by a broken back was recently cleared of the charges that followed a police raid on his home. The proceedings at Manchester Crown Court ended on 5 June with the jury taking just 40 minutes to reach their verdict on Colin Davies, charged under the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act. The decision follows a similar result in early April, when Alan Blythe was cleared in Warrington of charges relating to cultivation and supply. He was, however, fined ?100 for possession of the cannabis that he had grown for his wife who has multiple sclerosis. Less than a week after the acquittal of Mr. Davies, the Home Office announced that it has granted two licenses to GW Pharmaceuticals to cultivate and carry out clinical trials of the drug. Although a small number of such licenses are already in force, the company is the first to propose testing on a large-scale. Guardian, 4.4.98, 6 & 12.6.98.