The sixties: Wilson's liberal reforms
Education reforms
Legalisation of abortion
Divorce reform
End of capital punishment
The Abortion Law Reform Association had campaigned for a reform from 1945, to end issues of backstreet abortions.
Between 1958 and 1960, 82 women died after backstreet abortions.
The 1967, Abortion Act permitted legal abortions, with the only justification needed being 'mental suffering'.
Limitations of the act: It had to done within the first 28 weeks and with the consent of 2 doctors.
The thalidomide disaster: The drug thalidomide was prescribed to pregnant women but caused children to be born with deformities, this changed opinion polls on abortiom and was highly influential.
In the 50s there was 2 divorces per 1,000 married couples and by the 70s this was 10 divorces per every 1,000 marriages.
Following the reform, there was a huge increase in divorces.
1969, Divorce Reform Act: allowed for 'no fault' divorce.
Before the reform, divorce demanded evidence of adultery. This rich used private detective and cameras to gain this but it was highly inaccessible to the working class.
Jenkins also refused to authorise the beating of prisoners, which stopped in 1967.
Ruth Ellis was the last woman to be hanged in Britain in 1955. This was very controversial and shifted public opinion, as she was a young mother convicted of murdering her abusive boyfriend.
In 1965, on a free vote, capital punishment was abolished for a trial period of 5 years, and in 1969 this was made permanent.
In the 50s public opinion on the death penalty remained divided.
Comprehensive schools gave every child the same opportunities.
By 1964, 1 in 10 pupils were in comprehensive schools, 10x as many as in 1951.
In the 60s the tripartite secondary school system was become increasingly questioned as it increased social divisions with the majority of grammar school students being middle class.
Circular 10.65, requested that local authorities convert to comprehensive schools, whilst not mandatory by 1970 1 in 3 of state schools were comprehensive.
New universities were founded, such as Surrey and Bath as Britain was lagging behind France and the USA for science & technology education.
1969, the Open University was established, it appealed to women, older people and the disadvantaged.