Current and proposed sexual consent laws in Australia

REPORT - September 2023

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Full Report (PDF)

Contents

Members

List of recommendations

Chapter 1 - Introduction and context

Introduction
Referral and terms of reference
Conduct of the inquiry and acknowledgement
Background and context
Structure of the report
Note on references

Chapter 2 - Australia's sexual consent laws

Definition of ‘consent’
Concerns about legislative inconsistencies
National harmonisation of sexual consent laws
Limitations of sexual consent law reform

Chapter 3 - Lived experience

Law enforcement responses to reported sexual assaults
Victim-survivors’ experiences within the criminal justice system
Actors within the law enforcement and criminal justice systems

Chapter 4 - Education and awareness

Consent education in primary and secondary schools
Consent education in tertiary education settings
Community education and awareness

Chapter 5 - Conclusions and recommendations

Victim-survivors’ agency
Australia’s sexual consent laws
Supporting victim-survivors in the criminal justice system
Alternative approaches to the traditional criminal court process
Rape myths and misconceptions
Education and awareness
Concluding comment

Appendix 1 - Submissions and Additional Information

Appendix 2 - Public Hearings

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