Sexual Offences – Has the Pendulum Swung Too Far?
Presenter: Mr Terry O’Gorman AM, Senior Consultant, Robertson O’Gorman Solicitors
Chair: Her Honour Judge Deborah Richards, President, Childrens Court of Queensland; Judge, District Court of Queensland
Commentator: Professor Heather Douglas AM, The University of Melbourne
Registration: 5 - 5.15pm
Seminar: 5.15 - 6.45pm
Drinks: 6.45 - 7.15pm
About the seminar
Over time, protections designed to minimise miscarriages of justice in sexual assault cases have been dismantled. Recent changes to the protected counselling regime have significantly denied defendants access to relevant information relating to the credibility of complainants; and in September 2024 additional prosecution powers in sexual assault cases were introduced, commencing on 25th May 2025. In early February 2025, the Australian Law Reform Commission handed its Report on Justice Responses to Sexual Violence to the Federal Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus. This paper addresses the current state of the law regarding the prosecution of sexual assault cases, asking the question whether the pendulum has swung too far in trying to balance the rights of complainants in sex cases with minimising and hopefully preventing miscarriages of justice for accused persons.
About Current Legal Issues Seminar Series
Launched in 2009, Current Legal Issues is a high profile series of seminars featuring leading national and international legal scholars, practitioners and members of the judiciary.
The series is a collaboration between UQ Law, the Bar Association of Queensland, the Queensland University of Technology Faculty of Law and the Supreme Court of Queensland Library. It seeks to bring together leading scholars, practitioners and members of the Judiciary in Queensland and from abroad, with a view to:
- providing a forum for the critical analysis and discussion of current legal issues
- bringing to bear upon those issues the different perspectives offered by leading academics, legal professionals and the Judiciary
- forging stronger links between academic and practising lawyers in Queensland.
Each seminar will comprise a Chair, Speaker, and Commentator. The Chair will introduce the Speaker and Commentator. A paper will then be presented by a leading practitioner or academic lawyer, and will be subject to a brief, expert commentary. There will then be an opportunity for members of the floor to ask questions and engage in further discussion. The paper and a short profile of each participant will be available in advance on this website to assist in facilitating full discussion.
Venue
415 George Street, Brisbane.