Legal representation for sexual assault victims - Possibilities for law reform?
Article
Article Title | Legal representation for sexual assault victims - Possibilities for law reform? |
---|---|
ERA Journal ID | 17091 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | |
Author | Braun, Kerstin |
Journal Title | Current Issues in Criminal Justice |
Journal Citation | 25 (3), pp. 819-837 |
Number of Pages | 18 |
Year | 2014 |
Place of Publication | Sydney, Australia |
ISSN | 1034-5329 |
Web Address (URL) | http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/CICrimJust/2014/6.html |
Abstract | In the past, Australian law reform often focused on improving the situation of sexual assault victims in the criminal justice system in order to increase the low reporting and conviction rates for sexual violence. Studies have shown, however, that the reporting and conviction rates for sexually motivated crime have remained low, and that victims who do report sexual assault continue to feel dissatisfied with the way they are treated by the criminal justice system. This article explores the notion of granting sexual assault victims the right to be legally represented when testifying as witnesses at trial in order to improve their experience with the criminal justice system. After considering different types of legal representation available to victims in the German inquisitorial system, it is argued that one form of legal representation, namely legal representation for victim witnesses, could successfully be implemented for sexual assault victims in the Australian adversarial criminal justice system. |
Keywords | law reform; sexual assault victims; victim support;legal representation |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 489999. Other law and legal studies not elsewhere classified |
Byline Affiliations | University of Queensland |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q2x93/legal-representation-for-sexual-assault-victims-possibilities-for-law-reform
Download files
2014
total views821
total downloads0
views this month1
downloads this month