Criminal Law
The criminal laws against male homosexuality were initially a product of British colonialism, with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. During the 1970s – 1980s, there was a public debate about whether or not to reform the law in line with human rights principles. As a result, in 1991 the Legislative Council agreed to decriminalize private, adult, non-commercial and consensual homosexual relations.
However, an unequal age of consent was established, 21 for gay men and 16 for heterosexuals, with the law remaining silent about lesbianism. LGBT rights groups lobbied the legislative council to equalize the age of consent law, but were told that the legal inequality was necessary to protect youth and preserve tradition. A lawsuit was initiated to challenge the unequal age of consent in court.
In 2005, Justice Hartmann found that the unequal age of consent was unconstitutional under the Bill of Rights Ordinance, violating the right to equality. The ruling was upheld by the Hong Kong Court of Appeal; thus, since 2006, there is an equal age of consent of 16, for both heterosexual and homosexual sex.
Read more about this topic: LGBT Rights In Hong Kong
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