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Gay sex ruling challenged
06/07/2006 10:09 - (SA)
Hong Kong - A Hong Kong court on Thursday began hearing the government's appeal against a landmark ruling in a case that sought to lower the city's age of consent for gays from 21, lawyers said.
Lawyers for the Chinese-backed government are trying to overturn a ruling in August last year that declared as discriminatory and unconstitutional a higher age of consent for gays than for heterosexuals, for whom consent is granted at 16.
Homosexuals who break the law risk possible life in prison while heterosexuals face a maximum of five years.
Billy Lam, a young homosexual who brought the case in August, is expected to counter the government's argument that sodomy under the age of 21 is equally prohibited for women as it is for men.
Hong Kong only decriminalised homosexuality in 1991 and has been criticised for appealing against the ruling.
Cambodia, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, South Korea and Vietnam all have equal ages of consent.
The hearing taking place in the appeals court is expected to last two days.
- AFP
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