Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885
Commonly known as the Labouchere Amendment. This act outlawed what was termed ‘acts of gross indecency’ between men both in public and in private. The definition was vague and included intimate acts falling short of penetrative sex between two men. Male to male sex was illegal under previous law but it was very narrowly interpreted by the courts. Usually the courts required that penetration to have occurred for 'buggery' to have taken place. This new act made it much easier to punish the intimate acts of men together. The penalty was a maximum of two years imprisonment. The most famous person to be convicted under this act was Oscar Wilde.
Read more about this topic: List Of Laws And Reports On LGBT Rights In Ireland
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