Wolfenden at 70: Legal, Historic and Social Legacies of the Wolfenden Report
London South Bank University (with the Society of Legal Scholars).About the Conference
2026-2027 marks the 70th anniversary of the final year of work of the Departmental Committee on Homosexual Offences and Prostitution, published as the "Wolfenden Report" in 1957. To mark this anniversary, alongside the 60th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act 1967 which the report helped shape, London South Bank University is hosting a one-day conference exploring the legacies of the Wolfenden Report and their relevance to contemporary social debates and legal reform.
The conference is supported by the Society of Legal Scholars and takes an interdisciplinary approach, welcoming submissions from a wide variety of disciplinary perspectives, including interdisciplinary legal analysis and cross-jurisdictional papers considering the significance of the Wolfenden Report 70 years on.
Call for Papers: Suggested Topics
Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
- "Permissive" legislation, the public/private distinction and modern-day debates on (de)criminalisation.
- Political and historic perspectives on the Wolfenden Report, subsequent legal reforms and contemporary legal issues.
- Cultural artifacts and representations of the Wolfenden Report, members of the committee and the reforms it shaped.
- Social attitudes and reactions to Wolfenden, subsequent reforms and related contemporary debates.
- Campaigning organisations' responses to Wolfenden, subsequent social and political change and the voices heard and unheard in law reform.
Submission Guidelines
Paper proposals should take the form of a written summary of a maximum of 300 words outlining the proposed paper. To submit an abstract or request further information, email Wolfenden70@icloud.com. The deadline for submission of a proposal is Friday, 14 August 2026 at 17:00 BST.
Submissions from postgraduate researchers and early career academics are particularly welcome.
Venue, Dates and Support
The one-day conference will take place at London South Bank University, London, UK on Friday, 20 November 2026.
Funding to support travel to the conference will be available to presenters. The event is free to attend.