Royal pardon for Alan Turing

[oldironside]

"Alan Turing, the second world war codebreaker who took his own life after undergoing chemical castration following a conviction for homosexual activity, has been granted a posthumous royal pardon 59 years after his death.

The brilliant mathematician, who played a major role in breaking the Enigma code – which arguably shortened the war by at least two years – has been granted a pardon under the Royal Prerogative of Mercy by the Queen, following a request from the justice secretary, Chris Grayling.

Turing was considered to be the father of modern computer science and was most famous for his work in helping to create the "bombe" that cracked messages enciphered with the German Enigma machines. He was convicted of gross indecency in 1952 after admitting a sexual relationship with a man."

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/dec/24/enigma-codebreaker-alan-turing-royal-pardon

Wel, about bloody time.

Without the work of Bletchley Park the war in Europe would have lasted at least another year and millions more would have died.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Royal Prerogative of Mercy for ref. :

In the English and British tradition, the royal prerogative of mercy is one of the historic royal prerogatives of the British monarch, in which he or she can grant pardons (informally known as a royal pardon) to convicted persons. The royal prerogative of mercy was originally used to permit the monarch to withdraw death sentences, but is now used to change any sentence or penalty.[1] The power is sometimes abbreviated in Canada to RPM.[2]

Officially, this is a power of monarch. Formally, in Commonwealth realms, this has been delegated to the Governor-General of the realm, which in practice means to government ministers who advise the monarch or viceroy, usually those responsible for justice. Specifically, it has been delegated to the Lord Chancellor in England and Wales; the Scottish Ministers in Scotland; the Minister of Public Safety in Canada;[2] the Minister of Justice in New Zealand;[1] and the Minister for Home Affairs in Australia.[3]

In the important case of Derek Bentley, this royal prerogative power was found to be judicially reviewable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_prerogative_of_mercy

Above is noted for the benefit of those who are not UK. Aside from Turing there have been only three since WW2 - Derek Bentley, Timothy Evans and another.

Good to know that Turing has finally received this deserved pardon.

[non sociopath skin]

2. Too little too late. But better than nothing.

The Skin

[Helen Borg]

3. Right

I cannot believe that Cameron actually denied that last year.

[NealK]

5. He did?

What an idiotic scumbag.

[NealK]

4. +1000

[loudsue]

6. Without the work of Bletchley Park the war in Europe would have lasted at least another year and

millions more would have died.

My dad would have been one of them: he was in a German prison camp when the war ended. He couldn't have made it two more years.

[Jeneral2885]

8. well now with the Snowden effect

people dont care. They dont want any surveillance at all.

[LeftishBrit]

7. K&r even if it's 60 years too late