27 November 1835
Last Execution for Sodomy in England
Discrimination Legal UK People
James Pratt and John Smith became the last individuals executed for sodomy in England, following arrest in a private residence and a widely condemned trial. Their case drew public outrage, contributing to growing discomfort with the severity of penalties for consensual same-sex relations and hastening abolition of the death penalty for sodomy.
Impact & Significance
Their execution exposed the brutality of legal persecution and became a symbolic endpoint for capital punishment in cases of consensual male same-sex activity.
Reference Record
- Date
- 27 November 1835
- Era
- 1800s
- Sources
- 1
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Questions This Event Helps Answer
Q What was Section 28? Section 28 was a provision of the Local Government Act 1988 that restricted local authorities from promoting homosexuality or teaching that same-sex relationships were acceptable as family relationships. Q When was homosexuality decriminalised in the UK? The Sexual Offences Act 1967 partially decriminalised consensual sex between men in England and Wales, but UK-wide reform happened in stages and equality was not achieved by that Act alone. Q How did UK law criminalise homosexuality before 1967? Before 1967, English and Welsh law criminalised male same-sex intimacy through buggery and gross indecency offences, with punishments ranging from execution to imprisonment. Q How did international law change LGBTQ+ rights? International law changed LGBTQ+ rights by challenging criminalisation, creating partnership recognition, protecting sexual orientation in constitutions and opening marriage equality.
