Sexual Offences

The Bar Council of Ireland's response to the long-awaited review of protections for vulnerable witnesses in the investigation and prosecution of sexual offences is reproduced in full below. We welcome the publication this morning of the Report on the Review of Protections for Vulnerable Witness

The full implementation of Sir John Gillen's recommendations for improving serious sexual offence trials in Northern Ireland will be complete by the end of 2022 under a plan published today. According to the implementation plan, 11 per cent of the 253 recommendations made in Sir John's final report,

A long-awaited review of the investigation and prosecution of sexual offences in Ireland will be published within weeks, according to reports. The review, chaired by Tom O’Malley SC and announced in the wake of the high-profile Belfast rugby rape trial, was originally meant to be completed by

Comedian Sil Fox has instructed KRW LAW LLP to bring proceedings against the State following the collapse of a sexual assault case brought against him. The criminal case against the 87-year-old was dismissed by a judge last month after CCTV footage contradicted the complainant's evidence.

The findings of an inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment by a senior Australian judge have prompted urgent reviews into how the country's courts deal with sexual misconduct. Lawyers for Dyson Heydon, a former judge of the High Court of Australia, have said their client denies "any allegation

Scottish lawyers who visited Ireland to learn about the conduct of sexual offence trials here have called for complainants in Scotland to be given their own legal representation when applications are made to lead evidence of bad character or sexual history. Solicitors Eamon Keane and Tony Conve

The Irish courts are “not fit for purpose” as far as dealing with violence against women is concerned, experts have said. The legal process frequently re-traumatises women, a UN special rapporteur and NGO leaders told viewers in a webinar hosted by Orla O’Connor of the National Wom

A new book presents an in-depth comparative study of sentencing practice for rape in six common law jurisdictions: England and Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa.

More than three-quarters of sexual crimes detected in 2018 involved a male suspect and a female victim, according to new statistics. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has for the first time published a breakdown by age and gender of both victims and suspected offenders of serious crimes reported t

The Court of Appeal in Belfast has clarified the circumstances in which an Enhanced Combination Order (ECO) can be imposed on sex offenders. In a recent judgment, Sir Declan Morgan, the Lord Chief Justice, found that two offenders who admitted sexual assault by penetration contrary to article 6(1) o

Sexual offending experts have called on gardaí to investigate reported abuse and threats aimed at a rape victim in court yesterday. Two men were yesterday jailed for seven years for raping a woman who blacked out after drinking at a house party in Co Leitrim in 2017.

The full implementation of Sir John Gillen's recommendations for improving serious sexual offence trials in Northern Ireland "will take time", Justice Minister Naomi Long has said. The retired Court of Appeal judge issued his final report almost a year ago, making over 250 recommendations including

A prominent human rights lawyer has suggested landlords could face prosecution for requesting sexual favours in lieu of rent. Solicitor Noeline Blackwell, the chief executive of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, claimed the practice is an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2017, but other legal experts

In a matrimonial rape case involving a pattern of abuse, threats to kill, and a violent attack with a hammer after the rape, the Supreme Court has set out the sentencing principles which must be observed when dealing with a pattern of violent and abusive behaviour. Finding that the Court of Appeal w

Just over one in ten of sexual offences reported to gardaí last year led to a suspect being charged, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The agency has published recorded crime detection figures for the first time in three years, having suspended them over conce