Joint Committee on Justice to discuss Victims’ Testimony in the Cases of Rape and Sexual Assault

The virtual meeting at 3.30pm will be broadcast from Committee Room 3 of Leinster House and will hear from officials from the Department of Justice and representatives from the Rape Crisis Network Ireland, Men’s Aid, One in Four, and the Bar of Ireland.

Committee Chairman Deputy James Lawless said: “Giving testimony in court can be very traumatic for victims of sexual offences and can often add to their suffering. The recent O’Malley Report, which examined issues around vulnerable witnesses in cases of rape and sexual assault, recommended extending the right to separate legal representation to victims during court cases alongside the defence and prosecution.

“The Committee agreed in its work programme to examine this important issue and seek written submissions from key stakeholders. Among the areas we wish to examine are how such testimony is currently conducted; how this process can affect victims, defendants and legal practitioners; what alternative approaches there are in other jurisdictions and how an alternative system could be applied in Ireland.

“Members look forward to discussing these sensitive matters with the stakeholders and hearing their experiences of how victims’ testimony in rape and sexual assault cases operate in the Irish courts system.”

The Joint Committee on Justice has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.

The meeting in Committee Room 3 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.