The Attorney-General’s Department has announced that a national discussion with State and Territory Governments is expected to develop a joint program to strengthen the justice response to sexual assault, sexual harassment and coercive control.
Attorney-General, Senator Michaelia Cash said the new multi-jurisdictional initiative, aimed at ensuring victims and survivors of sexual violence and coercive control, had similar protections and legal avenues throughout Australia.
“While State and Territory jurisdictions are responsible for criminal law matters relating to family and sexual violence and sexual harassment, the variations in law from State to State make justice and community education a challenging issue,” Senator Cash said.
“We are working towards a better system, one which will reassure sexual assault and sexual harassment victims that the justice system will provide consistent outcomes.”
She said consistency in the various elements of the law and justice system would better ensure that all victims and survivors of family violence, sexual assault and sexual harassment would be able to access the same safeguards regardless of where an offence occurred.
“It would also achieve greater clarity and uniformity with respect to application of relevant offences,” Senator Cash said.
She said the multi-jurisdictional initiative project would look at issues such as sentencing, evidence law, coercive control, protections for vulnerable witnesses, minimum sentencing standards and specialist sexual offence courts.
The Attorney-General said the initiative aligned with current and future National Plans to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children and the Roadmap to Respect.
