It is now against the law to have indoor sex with somebody unless you live with them. Yes, seriously
Stock photo from Mahrael Boutros via Pexels
The British Government’s latest coronavirus amendment means it is now illegal to have sex with any person that doesn’t live in your household.
Boris Johnson has begun to ease lockdown in England, despite the number of daily cases still reaching the thousands.
From Monday (June 1), some schools will reopen, people can host barbecues and groups of up to six can meet in gardens and parks. But hook-ups remain firmly off the agenda.
An amendment introduced to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Bill on Monday states: “No person may participate in a gathering which takes place in a public or private place indoors, and consists of two or more persons.”
The amendment doesn’t exactly change the situation all that much for people in England. Under previous restrictions, a person could be prosecuted if they were found to be in another person’s home without a valid excuse.
But now, if two or more people meet for sex who don’t live together, all parties can be prosecuted under the law.
Coronavirus restrictions could see people fined up to £100 for having sex.
Under the amendment, only those with a “reasonable excuse” will be allowed to meet in another person’s home – and the desire to have sex is not considered an excuse.
The “reasonable excuse” clause allows sports professionals, people attending funerals, vulnerable persons, carers and those who have necessary work commitments to visit another person’s home.
If two or more people are found to have broken the rule, they can be fined £100 each – a fine that drops to £50 if paid within 14 days.
Lawyer George Peretz pointed out a number of flaws in the legislation on Twitter following its publication – and also spotted a glaring loophole.
From his reading of the amendment, a person is prohibited from having sex indoors with another person – unless that other person happens to be a sex worker.
He claimed that a sex worker could use the “reasonable excuse” that they had to be there for unavoidable work purposes.
A lawyer suggested the amendment could be ‘unlawful’.
Peretz pointed out a number of other issues with the amendment and wrote: “What all this shows is that you need scrutiny for all this stuff. Scrutiny throws up uncertainties and oddities of this kind and means that they get dealt with.”
He also suggested that the government’s decision to introduce the legislation without a parliamentary vote was “very likely unlawful”.
Meanwhile, a Downing Street spokesperson told The Mirror that police will not be allowed to forcibly enter a home where they suspect people are illegally having sex.
The spokesperson insisted that a police officer will only be able to enter a person’s home if they suspect that “serious criminal activity” is going on within.
