The ‘Alan Turing law’ and the danger of trying to rewrite the past

It may come as a surprise to some that, in itself, being homosexual has never been illegal in Britain. But, for hundreds of years, homosexual acts between consenting males were regarded as criminal offences. Thousands of men of all ages were prosecuted, sent to prison – or worse. One of these was Alan Turing, whose brilliant work on artificial intelligence was pivotal to the success of the Bletchley Park code breakers in World War Two. In 1952, Turing was convicted of gross indecency and, in order to escape imprisonment, agreed to undergo chemical castration. But while Turing’s ordeal is difficult to imagine now, does pardoning him – and others convicted under such laws – do any good?

When Turing received his Royal Pardon, there was much celebration. Finally a man who had done such vital work for his country had been vindicated. Yet was this rare use of the Royal Prerogative merely an inane gesture? After all, a Royal Pardon wasn’t much use for Turing, who died in 1954.