Leo Abse

The grandchild of Jewish immigrants, Abse first made his name as a flamboyant lawyer before spending 30 years as a Member of Parliament.

Abse began to agitate for the legalisation of homosexuality in the early 60s, following the 1957 publication of the Wolfenden Report recommending sexual acts between males in private be decriminalised.

In conjunction with Lord Arran, Abse introduced a bill in 1967 to repeal the sodomy law which was brought in during the Victorian era. That Act only applied to England and Wales, but it was the first in a drawn-out process of reforms throughout the UK which finally ended in the equalisation of the ages of consent in Northern Ireland last year.

Abse is remembered for a long career fighting for the rights of minorities and liberalisation of divorce laws.

Secretary for Wales Paul Murphy told the press Abse was "a very distinguished parliamentarian and social reformer who has left an indelible mark on his country."

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