Posthumous Royal Pardon for Alan Turing

[jimmy olsen]

Jolly Good 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25495315

Royal pardon for codebreaker Alan Turing

24 December 2013 Last updated at 00:00 GMT

Computer pioneer and codebreaker Alan Turing has been given a posthumous royal pardon.

It overturns his 1952 conviction for homosexuality for which he was punished by being chemically castrated.

The conviction meant he lost his security clearance and had to stop the code-cracking work that proved vital to the Allies in World War II.

The pardon was granted under the Royal Prerogative of Mercy after a request by Justice Minister Chris Grayling.

'Appalling' treatment

"Dr Alan Turing was an exceptional man with a brilliant mind," said Mr Grayling.

He said the research Turing carried out during the war at Bletchley Park undoubtedly shortened the conflict and saved thousands of lives.

Turing's work helped accelerate Allied efforts to read German Naval messages enciphered with the Enigma machine. He also contributed some more fundamental work on codebreaking that was only released to public scrutiny in April 2012.

"His later life was overshadowed by his conviction for homosexual activity, a sentence we would now consider unjust and discriminatory and which has now been repealed," said Mr Grayling.

"Turing deserves to be remembered and recognised for his fantastic contribution to the war effort and his legacy to science. A pardon from the Queen is a fitting tribute to an exceptional man."

The pardon comes into effect on 24 December.

Turing died in June 1954 from cyanide poisoning and an inquest decided that he had committed suicide. However, biographers, friends and other students of his life dispute the finding and suggest his death was an accident.

Many people have campaigned for years to win a pardon for Turing.

Lord Sharkey, a Liberal Democrat peer who wrote a private member's bill calling for a royal pardon in July 2012, said the decision was "wonderful news"

"This has demonstrated wisdom and compassion," he said. "It has recognised a very great British hero and made some amends for the cruelty and injustice with which Turing was treated."

In December 2011, an e-petition was created on the Direct Gov site that asked for Turing to be pardoned. It gathered more than 34,000 signatures but its request was denied by Lord McNally who said Turing was "properly convicted" for what was at the time a criminal offence.

Prior to that in August 2009, a petition was started to request a pardon. It won an official apology from then Prime Minister Gordon Brown. He said the way Turing was persecuted over his homosexuality was "appalling".

[Berkut]

A pardon is the very, very least they could do for that man.

One could argue that there are probably less than 100 other people working for the allies who contributed more to the allies winning that war, and saving allied lives in the process. "Thousands" is probably a gross under-estimate.

[The Brain]

Should we glorify sex criminals? And will Lord Sharkey get stabbed by a vengeful minion?

[Monoriu]

My question is, why does it take so long in the first place? 

[The Brain]

My question is, why does it take so long in the first place?

Someone forgot about baksheesh.

[Agelastus]

About bloody time.

[Viking]

"Pardon" implies that what he did should have been illegal in the first place.

[Neil]

"Pardon" implies that what he did should have been illegal in the first place.

Fuck you.

[Viking]

"Pardon" implies that what he did should have been illegal in the first place.

Fuck you.

I didn't know you like boys?

[Neil]

What would make you think that?

[Admiral Yi]

"Pardon" implies that what he did should have been illegal in the first place.

Not necessarily.  There's no way to overturn laws retrogressively that I'm aware of.

[DGuller]

Whew, he must be relieved.

[Josquius]

"Pardon" implies that what he did should have been illegal in the first place.

Yeah.
Bad move

[Viking]

"Pardon" implies that what he did should have been illegal in the first place.

Yeah.
Bad move

Turing was most certainly guilty of Homofaggitry. A pardon implies that same sex sodomy is something that requires a pardon. The correct response is to pardon every single parliament between 10 July 1942 (remnants of PQ-17 reaches Murmansk) and 27 July 1967 (homosexual sex decriminalized in england) for criminalizing this man who is one of the most important and beneficial human beings of all time. 

[Josquius]

Yep. The word pardon seems wrong and singling out Turning, though he was great, isn't fair.
There should instead be a more general purpose statement that the law as it stood was wrong and the country now begs forgivness of those it fucked over in its more ignorant times.