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Botswana appeals court upholds ruling that decriminalised gay sex

Botswana appeals court upholds ruling that decriminalised gay sex

BOTSWANA’S  Court of Appeal on Monday upheld a 2019 ruling that decriminalised gay sex, effectively striking off two sections of the penal code that had outlawed homosexuality. Before the 2019 High Court ruling, which was praised by international organisations and activists, engaging in gay sex in Botswana was punishable by up to seven years in prison. The state had argued on appeal that the penal code outlawed gay sex and there was no evidence that people's attitude towards homosexuality had changed. Reading the unanimous decision by five judges, Court of Appeal Judge President Ian Kirby said the criminalisation of consensual…
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Botswana appeals ruling allowing gay sex, court delays judgment

Botswana appeals ruling allowing gay sex, court delays judgment

BOTSWANA judges have postponed ruling on a case in which the government is seeking to overturn a 2019 ruling that decriminalised gay sex, saying the matter needed more research and debate. The case was initially brought by a university student, Letsweletse Motshidiemang, whose representatives argued then that the government should do away with the law in light of a changed society where homosexuality was more widely accepted. Gay sex has been punishable by up to seven years in prison. Representing the state, Sydney Pilane told the Court of Appeal there was no evidence that people's attitudes had changed. "People don't…
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