HOORAY! THEY LISTENED! Queensland removes gay panic defence
Monday March 27, 2017

HOORAY! THEY LISTENED! Queensland removes gay panic defence

Monday, March 27, 2017
Last week the Queensland Parliament at last removed gay panic defence from the statute books of Queensland. No longer will men be able to claim that they killed someone in panic because of an unwanted sexual advance to them.

There have been two cases in Queensland where that type of defence was raised- and in both cases those charged were convicted of manslaughter, not murder. Both cases came from the regional town of Maryborough. The then local priest, Father Kelly was resolute in pushing to get rid of the defence.

Others also pushed for the removal over the years. Prominent amongst them were academic, Dr Alan Berman and myself.

Dr Berman and I lobbied two Attorneys-General of Queensland:  Paul Lucas and Cameron Dick. The result was a group of experts, and then partial changes to the defence, but it was recommended by retired Justice John Jerrard QC  that the Government do more. That was in 2011. Then the Government changed – and the Newman Government was elected. New Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie announced that there would be no change.

The ALP went to the last election saying that they would abolish gay panic defence. The LNP under Lawrence Springborg said that they would support the change. I made a submission to the Parliamentary Committee looking at the Government’s Bill in support of the changes.

And then finally last week, those proposals came to fruition- and gay panic defence was abolished. All that effort over all those years finally resulted in meaningful, long last lasting worthwhile change.

HOORAY! THEY LISTENED!

Request an Appointment
Fill in the form below to find out if you have a claim.
Request an Appointment - Stephen Page
Things to Read, Watch & Listen

Practical Family Law Drafting: Stephen Page’s Legalwise Intensive Paper

Stephen Page, Director at Page Provan Family and Fertility Lawyers, presented at the Legalwise Practical Family Law Drafting Intensive on 25 February 2026, delivering expert guidance on drafting interim property and maintenance applications. As Australia’s leading surrogacy lawyer and an Accredited Family Law Specialist since 1996, Stephen brings decades of frontline experience to family law… Read More »Practical Family Law Drafting: Stephen Page’s Legalwise Intensive Paper

International Surrogacy Parentage: Why Children Need a Global Convention

Can Children Born Through Surrogacy Have Secure Parentage Worldwide?

International surrogacy is a global reality. Advances in assisted reproductive technology, combined with cross-border family formation, mean children are being born through surrogacy in jurisdictions with very different laws and values. That diversity creates a legal and human-rights problem: how can the parentage and identity of these children be protected consistently and quickly across borders?… Read More »Can Children Born Through Surrogacy Have Secure Parentage Worldwide?

Human Rights Act Australia: Why IVF & Surrogacy Need Statutory Protection

Why Australia Needs a Human Rights Act

Australia prides itself on fairness and the rule of law, yet it remains the only western common law country without a national Human Rights Act or bill of rights. That absence is not merely theoretical. It has practical, often profound consequences for people navigating assisted reproductive treatment, IVF and surrogacy. The legal gap and why… Read More »Why Australia Needs a Human Rights Act

Family Law Section Law Council of Australia Award
Member of Queensland law society
Family law Practitioners Association
International Academy of Family Lawyers - IAFL
Mediator Standards Board