Legal Impact
The murder attracted national media coverage and public outrage resulted in Duncan being held up as a martyr by the Gay Rights movement. As a result of the media attention, Murray Hill, a Liberal party member of the Legislative Council, introducing a bill on 26 July 1972 to amend the Criminal Law Consolidation Act (1935-1971) that criminalised homosexuality. The amendment was assented to on 9 November 1972, however a further amendment weakened it to only allow a legal defense for homosexual acts committed in private. In 1973 the Labor Member for Elizabeth, Peter Duncan introduced the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill into Parliament which, although passed by the Lower House was defeated twice in the Legislative Council. On 27 August 1975 the unaltered bill was again introduced, defeated, reintroduced, defeated, reintroduced a third time and passed, all on the same day, making South Australia the first Australian State to fully decriminalise homosexuality.
Read more about this topic: Murder Of George Duncan
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