Vol. 497 No. 4
50 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress, if any, made in regard to consideration of the provision of separate legal representation for rape victims during trials; when consideration will be completed in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25084/98]
69 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the action, if any, he will take to implement the recommendations outlined in The Legal Process and Victims of Rape; the timetable for implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22442/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 69 together.
The question of separate legal representation for complainants in rape cases is one of the issues addressed in the Discussion Paper on the Law on Sexual Offences which I published in May of this year. An analysis of the submissions received on the entirety of the discussion paper is currently being undertaken in my Department. Once that analysis has been completed the question of the preparation of proposals for any changes to the law on sexual offences that are identified will arise.
Earlier this month the authors of the study entitled The Legal Process and Victims of Rape formally requested that their study be considered by my Department as constituting a submission on the discussion paper on the law on sexual offences. The study is being dealt with on that basis.
