Reform legislation on evidence admissible in sexual assault and rape cases

Closed 51 signatures

What the petition asks

I want the Government to reform legislation on the evidence that is admissible in sexual assault and rape cases, to enable prosecutors to be able to present any evidence relating to the character of the defendant, such as whether they absconded and if there are similar charges against them.

I want this to happen because I believe the current process for trying cases for sexual assault and rape cases is not fair on victims, and the chances of successfully prosecuting these cases can be hampered by restrictions on the evidence that can be presented in court, as evidenced by the fact that so few reported rapes result in a conviction. I believe this could be improved if the law on what evidence is admissible were changed.

Timeline

14 Sep 2020	Petition opened for signatures
14 Mar 2021	Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 51

Status Closed

Department Ministry of Justice

Opened 14 Sep 2020

Closed 14 Mar 2021

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