Closed petition Ensure women topless in public do not face indecency charges

Closed on 4 January 2023

It’s not illegal for women to be topless in public, however there is a grey area around offences of ‘outraging public decency’. Women may be charged with indecency whilst topless in public but men are not. The law should be clarified to make sure women do not face the threat of such charges.

There is clear sexism with how the law is currently applied. All people are given a body and during the summer months they become very hot. One sex is able to roam topless to cool down and the other sex must cover up, or face the risk of prosecution. Women and others with breasts face a clear disadvantage here as they cannot do the same thing their male acquaintances can do without a fear of prosecution.