24th September 2026
Irish Government successful in including redress for past criminalisation in strategy.
The first ever Council of Europe Strategy on equal rights for LGBTI people, published today, 24th September, recognises the backlash against equality and progress across Europe and provides a common framework for its 46 member states to promote equality, inclusion and human rights.
The LGBT Restorative Justice Campaign, building on the recent Irish legislation providing Disregards for men unjustly convicted under former anti-gay laws, has been campaigning for the Council of Europe to extend similar provisions to other countries where gay men were criminalised for consensual same-sex relationships.
“We welcome the new Council of Europe strategy which commits to working with States to recognise, pardon and expunge historical convictions for same-sex activity which have since been repealed” said Kieran Rose, of the LGBT Restorative Justice Campaign.
“The strategy also recognises the impacts on the wider LGBTI community of criminalisation and of other laws that specifically targeted LGBTI people and identities, and calls for measures to address those harms.”
“The European Court of Human Rights, part of the Council of Europe, was central to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Ireland through the Norris Case in 1988. It is fitting that, almost 40 years later, the Council of Europe is recognising and seeking to remedy the legacy of historical criminalisation across its 46 member states.
“We congratulate the Irish Government. public servants and civil society organisations whose work helped achieved this breakthrough. While there is much work to be done in many countries, the Council of Europe now provides significant momentum for measures to deliver redress to the people and communities harmed by historical anti-gay laws”, concluded Rose.
The strategy’s overall objective is to uphold the dignity and equality and human rights of LGBTI people and promote safe, inclusive societies free from discrimination, harm, and violence.
ENDS.
Editors Notes:
The Council of Europe Strategy for Equal Rights for LGBTI People 2027 to 2032 is available here.
