Type:	Journal Article
Title:	Protecting the Anonymity of the Victims of Sexual Crimes
Authors:	Zdenkowski, George
Year:	2012
Notes:	This project, referred to the Institute by a Hobart lawyer in March 2010, and supported by the Commissioner for Children, involves a consideration of the operation and scope of s 194K of the Evidence Act 2001 (Tas) relating to the publication of identifying material in relation to complainants in sexual assault cases. Victims of sexual crimes often wish to remain anonymous and this has resulted in reluctance by victims to report sexual assault. Partly in an effort to encourage victims to come forward, as well as wanting to respect a victim's wish for privacy, the law has introduced restrictions on the reporting (predominantly by the media) of the identity of victims. In Tasmania this rule is found in s 194K of the Evidence Act 2001 (Tas). While this rule may seem straight forward, in practice difficulties can arise in determining exactly what information can and cannot be released. This issues paper provides detailed consideration to the background and policy behind the rule, how it has been interpreted and applied in the past, how it should be applied in the future, whether legislative reform is desirable to aid in its application, and if so, what kind of reform is appropriate. The issues paper seeks comments on this topic.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/16404
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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