In 1954 the British government began its journey towards decriminalising homosexuality
On this day in 1954 the Woolfenden Committee, also known as the Departmental Committee on Homosexual Offences and Prostitution, met for the first time. The group was established by the British government to examine the law and practice concerning homosexuality and prostitution.
The committee was named after its chairman, John Wolfenden, who was a British educationalist. The committee’s report, published in 1957, was a significant turning point in the history LGBT rights in England and Wales.
The Woolfenden Committee was set up when homosexuality was still a criminal offence in England and Wales. The committee was formed to investigate the existing laws and their application in practice and to make recommendations for their reform. In 1954 there were 1,069 homosexual men in prison in England and Wales, with an average age of 37.
The commissioning of the report was triggered by a high-profile prosecution which saw Edward Montagu-Scott (the 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu) jailed alongside his cousin Michael Pitt-Rivers and friend Peter Wildeblood.
The committee heard evidence from a wide range of individuals and organizations, including lawyers, doctors, social workers, religious leaders, and representatives of the gay community.
The committee’s final report recommended that homosexuality between consenting adults in private should no longer be a criminal offence. The report also recommended that the age of consent for homosexual acts should be lowered from 21 to 18. The report was controversial and generated significant debate in the media and in Parliament.
The Woolfenden Committee’s report had a significant impact on the law and public attitudes towards homosexuality in Britain. While the report’s recommendations were not immediately implemented, they paved the way for the decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales in 1967, although the age of consent was set at 21 years of age.
Scotland’s laws would not be updated until 1980 while people in Northern Ireland would wait until 1982 for a change of their laws.
While the laws were changed in Britain, they still remain in many former British colonies around the globe.
OIP Staff, A.I technology was used in the generation of this post. Update: 28-04-2025 8:45pm This report was updated to clarrifiy the timeframes for change in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
