Sexual Offences

Northern Ireland's Department of Justice has launched a social media campaign to challenge common misconceptions about rape and sexual assault. The "Rape Myths = Real Harm" campaign aims to address issues identified in Sir John Gillen's 2019 review of sexual offence trials in Northern Ireland.

A presumption of non-disclosure in respect of counselling notes in sexual offence trials is to be introduced through legislation. Justice, home affairs and migration minister Jim O'Callaghan yesterday confirmed that the further restriction on the use of counselling notes will be introduced by way of

Further legislation on the use of complainants' counselling notes in rape and sexual assault trials is expected to be agreed by ministers tomorrow. Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) has called on the government to introduce a new statutory privilege which would provide for a presumption against the d

Ministers have approved legislative plans to restrict the disclosure of counselling records in sexual offence trials as an "initial step in reforming the law in this area". Disclosure hearings in such cases will become mandatory under provisions included in the wide-ranging Criminal Law and Civ

The Court of Appeal has overturned a man’s conviction for sexual assault on his young cousin due to a defect in the trial judge’s charge to the jury. Delivering judgment for the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Peter Charleton considered that: “Proof in a criminal trial is beyond reason

The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal against conviction notwithstanding that evidence of a doctor called by the prosecution should not have been elicited in re-examination or allowed by the trial judge. Delivering judgment for the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Brian O’Moore emphasised: &l

There should be a "complete and unconditional ban" on the use of counselling records in sexual offence trials, the Oireachtas justice committee has recommended. The joint committee on justice, home affairs and migration yesterday published its pre-legislative scrutiny report on the general scheme of

The UK Supreme Court has ruled that the practice of the Scottish courts since 2013 in relation to the admission of evidence in trials for sexual offences is liable to infringe defendants’ rights under Article 6 ECHR but dismissed two appeals on that basis presented to the court after finding t

A public register of convicted domestic abusers is to be established under new legislation which will also strengthen the law on sexual consent. Ministers yesterday approved the general scheme of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences, Domestic Violence and International Instruments) Bill 2025, which wil

Northern Ireland's public consultation on proposals to criminalise the creation and sharing of sexually explicit "deepfake" images of adults closes soon. The Department of Justice wants to hear from the public as it continues efforts to tackle emerging issues relating to the use of deepfake technolo

Public awareness around sexual consent is growing but myths, misunderstandings and troubling attitudes persist among younger men, according to research by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC). Launched today as part of DRCC's national We-Consent campaign, the research shows that while most peop

The Four Courts will be lit up in purple for the next two weeks as part of a campaign honouring and supporting survivors of sexual violence. It is one of 15 public building which will glow purple from dusk until dawn from 1-15 August as part of the 'Lights of Hope' campaign launched today by Dublin

England and Wales is set to follow Ireland in introducing a right to independent legal advice and representation for complainants in sexual offence trials when requests are made to introduce evidence of their past sexual behaviour. As part of its "end-to-end rape review", the UK government asked the

Northern Ireland is set to criminalise the creation and sharing of sexually explicit "deepfake" images of adults under plans now out for consultation. There is currently no legislation in Northern Ireland which criminalises the creation and sharing of sexually explicit deepfake images where the imag

Ministers are set to legislate to remove the so-called "honest belief" defence in rape trials, according to reports. The Law Reform Commission recommended a change to the existing law, set out in section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) Act 1981, in a report published in 2018.