Under new legislation, thousands of gay and bisexual men will receive posthumous pardons from the UK government. Dubbed the "Alan Turing Law," an amendment to the Policing and Crime Bill will rectify old convictions for consensual same-sex relationships, which were decriminalised in England and Wales in 1967. The policy builds on the case of Alan Turing, a brilliant cryptographer who helped Britain and the Allied Powers decode messages during World War II. Turing was prosecuted in 1952 for homosexual acts and died in 1954 from cyanide poisoning. In 2009, the British government officially apologised for his treatment, before a posthumous pardon was granted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2013.

Thousands of gay and bisexual men convicted of now-abolished sexual offences will be pardoned by the UK government, the Ministry of Justice has announced. SEE ALSO: Thousands of gay men could finally be pardoned for historical'offences' The law has been dubbed the "Alan Turing Law," named after World War II Enigma code breaker who was prosecuted for "gross indecency" in 1952 for having a same-sex relationship, when homosexuality was illegal in the UK. Under the new law, people convicted for consensual same-sex relationships when homosexuality was illegal will be formally pardoned. People convicted of "gross indecency" can apply through the Home Office to have their names cleared through something called the "disregard process." The law will posthumously pardon 59,000 men convicted of the charge who have since died, and the 16,000 men still living can apply for the disregard process.

Thousands of gay and bisexual men convicted of now-abolished sexual offences are to receive posthumous pardons, the government has announced. It will mean formal pardons for those convicted over consensual same-sex relationships before homosexuality was decriminalised in the UK. Justice Minister Sam Gyimah said the move was "hugely important". It honours a government commitment made after World War Two code-breaker Alan Turing was pardoned in 2013. Under the move - dubbed "Turing law" - deceased people who were convicted of sexual acts that are no longer deemed criminal will receive an automatic pardon.