Merchant Shipping (Homosexual Conduct) Act 2017

The Merchant Shipping (Homosexual Conduct) Act 2017 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act addresses historical injustices faced by seamen convicted of homosexual offences under previous legislation that was discriminatory.

The primary purpose of the Act is to provide for the disregarding of certain convictions and cautions for historical homosexual offences committed by merchant seamen. Prior to decriminalization and subsequent legal reforms, consensual homosexual acts were illegal in the UK, and this illegality extended to British-flagged ships. Seamen were thus vulnerable to prosecution and conviction for such acts.

The Act allows individuals convicted under these repealed laws to apply to have their convictions disregarded. If an application is successful, the conviction is removed from their criminal record and is treated as if it never occurred. This provides a measure of redress and removes the stigma associated with these past convictions. The Act is designed to align the legal treatment of merchant seamen with that of other members of the UK population who have had similar convictions disregarded under earlier legislation addressing historical homosexual offences. It represents a step toward acknowledging and rectifying historical discrimination.