Lawyer and activist whose work on human rights helped lead to the decriminalisation of homosexuality across Europe
The human rights lawyer Peter Ashman, who has died from pancreatic cancer aged 63, played an important role in a landmark case that decriminalised homosexuality in Northern Ireland. The precedent this set led to decriminalisation across Europe, which in turn freed millions from the fear of prosecution.
He also sought to remedy miscarriages of justice, and in 1982 suggested a television documentary series on the subject. The idea was taken up by the BBC as its Rough Justice programme, to which he was a frequent contributor.
In the late 1970s Peter took on the legal preparation of the case of Jeff Dudgeon, a Belfast shipping clerk who was challenging the law against same-sex relations in Northern Ireland before the European court of human rights. He developed the written submissions with a solicitor, Paul Crane, and asked Lord Gifford QC and Terry Munyard to present the case. The result was to have far-reaching consequences: in the next 20 years or so, 23 European jurisdictions decriminalised homosexuality.
Peter also believed it was wrong that responsibility for decisions about the early release of life prisoners rested ultimately with a politician – the home secretary – rather than the judiciary. He took up the case of a prisoner, who, when 17, had been given a discretionary life sentence for stealing 35p from a pet shop while armed with a starting pistol. Released on licence, he was reimprisoned on the orders of the home secretary, Merlyn Rees, after an episode of drunken behaviour. Peter successfully challenged this before the European Court of Human Rights. It was the first of a number of cases that eventually resulted in the home secretary's parole review powers being transferred to the judiciary.
Peter's concern that miscarriages of justice were going unremedied led him to suggest a TV series covering such issues. His proposition was developed by the BBC as Rough Justice, and he supplied many of the cases it covered, often also featuring on the programme as a legal commentator. Rough Justice played a role in securing the release of a number of prisoners and contributed to the eventual establishment of an official body for reviewing miscarriages of justice.
Born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, to Carola and Frank, Peter had a peripatetic childhood in Iraq, Libya, Lebanon and Westcliff-on-Sea in Essex, as his father pursued a career as an airlines radio operator and pilot. After Southend high school for boys, Peter studied law at King's College London, in the 1970s. It was an exciting time for gay rights, and he became involved with the work of the newly formed Gay Liberation Front.
In the mid-70s he also joined the Campaign for Homosexual Equality, and at its 1978 conference co-organised a meeting of activists from 14 countries to establish an international gay rights organisation. He took charge of a sub-group that established far-sighted objectives, such as the removal of homosexuality from the World Health Organisation classification of diseases, for sexual orientation discrimination to be prohibited under the European convention on human rights, and for a European law to prevent discrimination in employment; all were achieved over the next quarter of a century. Thus was born the world's first international gay rights advocacy organisation, now the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.
In 1977 he became the legal officer of Justice, the British section of the International Commission of Jurists, where he was to remain for 15 years drafting reports and legislative proposals to further that organisation's aims of advancing access to justice and human rights.
In 1992 he moved to Brussels to set up the office of the now-defunct European Human Rights Foundation, which managed European commission grants to civil society organisations in central and eastern Europe.
In 2001 he joined the commission, working on human rights policy, before returning to London in 2004 to become a human rights adviser at the Foreign Office. There he drafted a programme for British embassies to support LGBT rights around the world – an innovation that served as an example for programmes by the EU and the US state department.
Peter excelled at using the law to further people's rights and he combined his commitment to fighting injustice with optimism, modesty, humour, and generosity in supporting and mentoring others – whether prisoners, activists, friends or acquaintances. He could be counted on for wise advice.
Peter is survived by his civil partner, Poramate Jitsopas, and two sisters, Karin and Barbara.
• Peter Frank Ashman, human rights activist and lawyer, born 15 September 1950; died 21 February 2014 Reported by guardian.co.uk 10 hours ago.
The human rights lawyer Peter Ashman, who has died from pancreatic cancer aged 63, played an important role in a landmark case that decriminalised homosexuality in Northern Ireland. The precedent this set led to decriminalisation across Europe, which in turn freed millions from the fear of prosecution.
He also sought to remedy miscarriages of justice, and in 1982 suggested a television documentary series on the subject. The idea was taken up by the BBC as its Rough Justice programme, to which he was a frequent contributor.
In the late 1970s Peter took on the legal preparation of the case of Jeff Dudgeon, a Belfast shipping clerk who was challenging the law against same-sex relations in Northern Ireland before the European court of human rights. He developed the written submissions with a solicitor, Paul Crane, and asked Lord Gifford QC and Terry Munyard to present the case. The result was to have far-reaching consequences: in the next 20 years or so, 23 European jurisdictions decriminalised homosexuality.
Peter also believed it was wrong that responsibility for decisions about the early release of life prisoners rested ultimately with a politician – the home secretary – rather than the judiciary. He took up the case of a prisoner, who, when 17, had been given a discretionary life sentence for stealing 35p from a pet shop while armed with a starting pistol. Released on licence, he was reimprisoned on the orders of the home secretary, Merlyn Rees, after an episode of drunken behaviour. Peter successfully challenged this before the European Court of Human Rights. It was the first of a number of cases that eventually resulted in the home secretary's parole review powers being transferred to the judiciary.
Peter's concern that miscarriages of justice were going unremedied led him to suggest a TV series covering such issues. His proposition was developed by the BBC as Rough Justice, and he supplied many of the cases it covered, often also featuring on the programme as a legal commentator. Rough Justice played a role in securing the release of a number of prisoners and contributed to the eventual establishment of an official body for reviewing miscarriages of justice.
Born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, to Carola and Frank, Peter had a peripatetic childhood in Iraq, Libya, Lebanon and Westcliff-on-Sea in Essex, as his father pursued a career as an airlines radio operator and pilot. After Southend high school for boys, Peter studied law at King's College London, in the 1970s. It was an exciting time for gay rights, and he became involved with the work of the newly formed Gay Liberation Front.
In the mid-70s he also joined the Campaign for Homosexual Equality, and at its 1978 conference co-organised a meeting of activists from 14 countries to establish an international gay rights organisation. He took charge of a sub-group that established far-sighted objectives, such as the removal of homosexuality from the World Health Organisation classification of diseases, for sexual orientation discrimination to be prohibited under the European convention on human rights, and for a European law to prevent discrimination in employment; all were achieved over the next quarter of a century. Thus was born the world's first international gay rights advocacy organisation, now the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.
In 1977 he became the legal officer of Justice, the British section of the International Commission of Jurists, where he was to remain for 15 years drafting reports and legislative proposals to further that organisation's aims of advancing access to justice and human rights.
In 1992 he moved to Brussels to set up the office of the now-defunct European Human Rights Foundation, which managed European commission grants to civil society organisations in central and eastern Europe.
In 2001 he joined the commission, working on human rights policy, before returning to London in 2004 to become a human rights adviser at the Foreign Office. There he drafted a programme for British embassies to support LGBT rights around the world – an innovation that served as an example for programmes by the EU and the US state department.
Peter excelled at using the law to further people's rights and he combined his commitment to fighting injustice with optimism, modesty, humour, and generosity in supporting and mentoring others – whether prisoners, activists, friends or acquaintances. He could be counted on for wise advice.
Peter is survived by his civil partner, Poramate Jitsopas, and two sisters, Karin and Barbara.
• Peter Frank Ashman, human rights activist and lawyer, born 15 September 1950; died 21 February 2014 Reported by guardian.co.uk 10 hours ago.