A BILL aiming to improve how the justice system responds to sexual violence will be introduced in the ACT Legislative Assembly today (October 11).

The Sexual Assault Reform Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 is the first stage of law reforms led by the ACT Government in response to the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Steering Committee report, “Listen. Take Action to Prevent, Believe and Heal”

The report found that only 13 per cent of women who have experienced sexual assault report it to police.

Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury will introduce the Bill in the assembly in hopes to reduce the further traumatisation of victim-survivors when they have contact with the justice system.

This Bill would allow evidence of prior family violence between parties to be admissible in sexual offence proceedings, provide that the presumption of bail does not apply to certain sexual offences against young people, provide that self-induced intoxication cannot be considered in deterring whether the accused person had knowledge, recklessness or a reasonable belief as to consent.

It would also allow for special interim Personal Protection Orders and Workplace Protection Orders, which will operate for longer than 12 months where there are ongoing related criminal proceedings.

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