The role of the Church of England in the liberalising of criminal legislation of the 1960s

This paper describes the rather neglected role played by committees of the Church of England in rewording and promoting a set of arguments that facilitated the reform of a number of repressive laws in mid-twentieth century England and Wales. It is in part a comment on the manner in which the Church provided a clear-eyed understanding of some of the major moral upheavals of the time, drawing on classic utilitarian principles. It is also a comment on our propensity to lose sight of interesting and influential passages in the history of criminal justice.