Laws and policies : Law and policy reform
News and features
US: Florida State Senate Committee Supports Public Health Measure To Modernize HIV Laws (Press Release)
Press release from the Sero Project Tallahassee March 22, 2017 The Florida HIV Justice Coalition today applauded members of the Florida State Senate’s Criminal Justice Committee for voting unanimously yesterday in favor of Senate Bill 628. SB 628 will modernize … More
Russia: Government to examine possibility of removing HIV-specific criminal law and broadening prosecutions to all serious communicable diseases under general ‘bodily harm’ laws
The Russian government is considering removing Article 122 (Infection with Human Immuno-deficiency Virus) from the Criminal Code, according to an article published earlier this month on the RBC website. Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets has instructed a number of ministries … More
US: Second HIV is not a crime training academy creates an important intersectional shift in the US anti-HIV criminalisation movement
The second HIV Is Not a Crime Training Academy, which took place in May at the University of Alabama, Huntsville, brought together more than 300 advocates from 34 US states, as well delegations from Canada and Mexico. Organised jointly by … More
New report shows HIV criminalisation is a growing, global concern but advocates are fighting back
A new report released today shows that HIV criminalisation is a growing, global phenomenon. However, advocates around the world are working hard to ensure that the criminal law’s approach to people living with HIV fits with up-to-date science, as well … More
US: American Psychological Association adopts resolution opposing HIV criminalisation
The American Psychological Association (APA) has adopted an evidence-informed resolution on HIV criminalisation in the United States. It was developed with feedback from the APA Committee on Legal Issues and the HIV Medicine Association – who themselves issued a Policy … More
US: Republican Senator highlights Florida’s “archaic” HIV-specific criminal law, advocates for law reform in 2017
Last Thursday, March 10th Senator Rene Garcia introduced an amendment in the Florida Senate to an amendment of a bill he was co-sponsoring (SB 314) to highlight the damage done to the HIV response by the state’s overly broad HIV … More
Australia: New campaign launched by state PLHIV organisation to amend HIV disclosure requirement in New South Wales’ Public Health Act
Positive Life’s Communications and Policy Officer, Scott Harlum (pictured), explains why the organisation will advocate for changes to HIV disclosure requirements in the Public Health Act as part of the review. The Public Health Act is a key piece of … More
UK: Law Commission considers HIV criminalisation in great depth, but recommends no change for HIV/STI prosecutions in England & Wales, pending a wider review
Following a scoping consultation which ran from autumn 2014 to spring 2015, the Law Commission (of England and Wales) has now published its report containing their final recommendations to the UK Government. It recommends the adoption of a modified version … More
Australia: Victoria’s HIV-specific criminal law, Section 19A, finally repealed today
In a joint media release, Living Positive Victoria and the Victorian AIDS Council have welcomed the passage of the Crimes Amendment (Repeal of Section 19A) Act 2015 by the Victorian Parliament. The Act repeals Australia’s only HIV-specific law criminalising the … More
UK: Law Commission scoping consultation deadline this week; key findings and outputs from ‘Criminalizing Contagion’ seminar series may help inform the process
This week, the Law Commission – which reviews areas of the law in England and Wales that have become unduly complicated, outdated or unfair – will conclude its scoping consultation of the reform the Offences Against The Person Act, the … More
