AQA · A-Level · History
Course version: 7042 · Version from Sept 2017
Liberal reforming legislation: private members' bills and the end of…
Full specification wording
2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007 – The Sixties, 1964–1970: Liberal reforming legislation: private members' bills and the end of capital punishment; divorce reform; the legalisation of abortion; the legalisation of homosexual relations; educational reform
The 1960s saw profound liberal reforming legislation, largely driven by Private Members' Bills rather than official government policy, though supported by Home Secretary Roy Jenkins.
Checked against the AQA 7042 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 2 of 4
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
The 1960s saw profound liberal reforming legislation, largely driven by Private Members' Bills rather than official government policy, though supported by Home Secretary Roy Jenkins. The Murder Act 1965 suspended and later ended capital punishment. The Divorce Reform Act 1969 allowed 'no-fault' divorce after two years of separation. The Abortion Act 1967 legalised abortion under specific medical conditions. The Sexual Offences Act 1967 decriminalised homosexual relations between consenting men over 21 in private. Educational reform saw the rapid expansion of comprehensive schools, replacing the tripartite system via Circular 10/65, alongside the creation of the Open University to widen higher education access.
What earns the marks
- Explain the mechanism of Private Members' Bills and Roy Jenkins' role in facilitating parliamentary time for them.
- Detail the conditions of the Abortion Act 1967, such as requiring the agreement of two doctors, and the Sexual Offences Act 1967, such as the age of consent being set at 21.
- Analyse the impact of the Divorce Reform Act 1969 on society, particularly the introduction of 'irretrievable breakdown' as grounds for divorce.
- Evaluate the shift towards comprehensive education under Anthony Crosland and the establishment of the Open University as key educational reforms.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Claiming the Labour government officially sponsored all liberal legislation.
Put it right: State that most were Private Members' Bills supported by individual MPs and facilitated by the Home Secretary.
Stating that the Sexual Offences Act 1967 fully legalised homosexuality.
Put it right: Clarify that it only decriminalised homosexual acts between two consenting men over 21 in private, leaving many restrictions in place.
Asserting that capital punishment was permanently abolished in 1965.
Put it right: Note that the 1965 Act suspended it for five years, and it was permanently abolished by a subsequent vote in 1969.
Exam tips
- Link the success of these reforms to the specific political climate and the influence of Roy Jenkins as Home Secretary.
- Use specific dates and names of key MPs, such as David Steel for abortion and Leo Abse for sexual offences, to strengthen your evidence base.
- Contrast the progressive nature of the legislation with the often conservative public opinion of the time to evaluate the extent of social change.
Try the lesson
The start of the 2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007 – The Sixties, 1964–1970: Liberal reforming legislation: private members' bills and the end of capital punishment; divorce reform; the legalisation of abortion; the legalisation of homosexual relations; educational reform lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which parliamentary mechanism was primarily used to introduce the liberal reforming legislation of the 1960s, such as the Abortion Act and the Sexual Offences Act?
Listen
The 1960s saw profound liberal reforming legislation, largely driven by Private Members' Bills rather than official government policy, though supported by Home Secretary Roy Jenkins. The Murder Act 1965 suspended and later ended capital punishment. The Divorce Reform Act 1969 allowed 'no-fault' divorce after two years of separation. The Abortion Act 1967 legalised abortion under specific medical conditions. The Sexual Offences Act 1967 decriminalised homosexual relations between consenting men over 21 in private. Educational reform saw the rapid expansion of comprehensive schools, replacing the tripartite system via Circular 10/65, alongside the creation of the Open University to widen higher education access. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Explain the mechanism of Private Members' Bills and Roy Jenkins' role in facilitating parliamentary time for them. Detail the conditions of the Abortion Act 1967, such as requiring the agreement of two doctors, and the Sexual Offences Act 1967, such as the age of consent being set at 21. Analyse the impact of the Divorce Reform Act 1969 on society, particularly the introduction of 'irretrievable breakdown' as grounds for divorce. Evaluate the shift towards comprehensive education under Anthony Crosland and the establishment of the Open University as key educational reforms. A common slip: Claiming the Labour government officially sponsored all liberal legislation. Instead, state that most were Private Members' Bills supported by individual MPs and facilitated by the Home Secretary. Exam tip: Link the success of these reforms to the specific political climate and the influence of Roy Jenkins as Home Secretary.
Put the events in order
Put these events in the order they happened, earliest first.
- 1. Murder Act suspended capital punishment
- 2. Divorce Reform Act allowed no-fault divorce
- 3. Abortion Act legalised abortion under medical conditions
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Private Members' Bills
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
The role of the individual in parliament
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Educational equality and meritocracy
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
The changing role of the state in private morality
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Private Members' Bills
- Bills largely driving the profound liberal reforming legislation of the 1960s rather than official government policy, though supported by Home Secretary Roy Jenkins.
- The role of the individual in parliament
- Individual MPs supported most liberal legislation as Private Members' Bills, with parliamentary time facilitated by the Home Secretary.
- Educational equality and meritocracy
- Reform saw the rapid expansion of comprehensive schools replacing the tripartite system via Circular 10/65, alongside the Open University widening higher education access.
- The changing role of the state in private morality
- Legislation addressed private morality through the legalisation of abortion under specific medical conditions and the decriminalisation of homosexual relations between consenting men over 21 in private.
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