1Reduction in age at which certain sexual acts are lawful

(1)

In the M1Sexual Offences Act 1956—

(a)

in subsections (1A) and (1C) of section 12 (buggery); and

(b)

in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph 16 (indecency between men etc.) of Schedule 2 (punishments etc.),

for the word “eighteen” there shall be substituted the word “sixteen”.

(2)

In the M2Sexual Offences Act 1967—

(a)

in subsections (1) and (6) of section 1 (amendment of law relating to homosexual acts in private), for the word “eighteen” there shall be substituted the word “sixteen”; and

(b)

in section 8 (restriction on prosecutions), for the word “twenty-one” there shall be substituted the word “sixteen”.

(3)

In section 13 of the M3Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 (homosexual offences)—

(a)

in subsections (1) and (5)(c), for the word “eighteen”; and

(b)

in subsection (8), for the word “18”,

there shall be substituted the word “sixteen”.

(4)

In paragraphs (1) and (5) of Article 3 of the M4Homosexual Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 1982 (homosexual acts in private), for the word “18” there shall be substituted the word “17”.

(5)

Section 145 of the M5Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (which is superseded by this section) is hereby repealed.