Parliament will further investigate a request that pardons be given to people convicted of homosexual acts before 1986.

LISTEN ABOVE: Greens MP Kevin Hague spoke to Larry Williams about the issue

Parliament's Justice and Electoral Committee's agreed to take public submissions on a petition brought forward by Wiremu Denchick and signed by over 2000 people.

It seeks for pardons to be applied to those who received convictions before the Homosexual Law Reform Act was passed in 1986 - that law change meant gay sex acts were no longer illegal.

Green MP and gay rights advocate Kevin Hague is pleased with the committee's decision.

"The reality for people who were convicted prior to law reform in 86 is that they really didn't have the opportunity to tell their stories. A grave injustice has been done to those men."

If the move is successful, it could open the door for other people to seek pardons for historical offences no longer deemed criminal.

Kevin Hague doesn't have a problem with that, saying it's a good precedent to set.

"If there are other immoral laws, it would be great to actually expunge those convictions too."