Immorality Act, 1927
Encyclopedia
The Immorality Act, 1927 (Act No. 5 of 1927) was an act
of the Parliament of South Africa
that prohibited extramarital sex between white people and people of other races. In its original form it only prohibited sex between a white person and a black person, but in 1950 it was amended to apply to sex between a white person and any non-white person.
The act forbade any "illicit carnal intercourse" (which meant sex outside of marriage) between a "European" (i.e. white) male and a "native" (i.e. black) female, or vice versa. It imposed a penalty of up to five years in prison for the man and four years for the woman. It also prohibited "procuring
" women for the purpose of interracial sex, and knowingly allowing premises to be used for interracial sex; both offences carried a penalty of up to five years imprisonment.
In 1950 the Nationalist government of DF Malan, in one of the first legislative acts of apartheid, introduced the Immorality Amendment Act, 1950 (Act No. 21 of 1950) to extend the prohibition to sex between "Europeans" and all "non-Europeans". This therefore included in the scope of the act people of mixed descent and people of Asian descent. The 1950 amendment came one year after the passage of the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act
, which forbade marriages between white and non-white people.
The act was repealed by the Immorality Act, 1957, section 16 of which contained a similar prohibition of sex between whites and non-whites. The prohibition was finally lifted by the Immorality and Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Amendment Act, 1985
.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the Parliament of South Africa
Parliament of South Africa
The Parliament of South Africa is South Africa's legislature and under the country's current Constitution is composed of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces....
that prohibited extramarital sex between white people and people of other races. In its original form it only prohibited sex between a white person and a black person, but in 1950 it was amended to apply to sex between a white person and any non-white person.
The act forbade any "illicit carnal intercourse" (which meant sex outside of marriage) between a "European" (i.e. white) male and a "native" (i.e. black) female, or vice versa. It imposed a penalty of up to five years in prison for the man and four years for the woman. It also prohibited "procuring
Procuring
Procuring may refer to:* Procurement, a business process to acquire goods or services* Procuring , the act of aiding a prostitute in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer...
" women for the purpose of interracial sex, and knowingly allowing premises to be used for interracial sex; both offences carried a penalty of up to five years imprisonment.
In 1950 the Nationalist government of DF Malan, in one of the first legislative acts of apartheid, introduced the Immorality Amendment Act, 1950 (Act No. 21 of 1950) to extend the prohibition to sex between "Europeans" and all "non-Europeans". This therefore included in the scope of the act people of mixed descent and people of Asian descent. The 1950 amendment came one year after the passage of the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act
Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act
The Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, Act No 55 of 1949, was an apartheid law in South Africa that prohibited marriages between people of different races. It was among the first pieces of apartheid legislation to be passed following the National Party's rise to power in 1948...
, which forbade marriages between white and non-white people.
The act was repealed by the Immorality Act, 1957, section 16 of which contained a similar prohibition of sex between whites and non-whites. The prohibition was finally lifted by the Immorality and Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Amendment Act, 1985
Immorality and Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Amendment Act, 1985
The Immorality and Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Amendment Act, 1985 is an act of the Parliament of South Africa that repealed the laws prohibiting marriage and sexual intercourse between white people and people of other races...
.