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Enacted Dáil
No. 62 of 2023

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023

Public bill · Government · Presented

Changes how serious sexual offence cases are handled so victims and accused can stay anonymous, public access can be restricted, and victims can get separate legal representation in some situations. It also updates the law on rape so the focus is on whether the accused reasonably believed there was consent, and it moves the national system for identifying and supporting victims of human trafficking onto a formal legal basis, with appeals, services, and protection from deportation in some cases. It further limits when military courts can hear sexual offence cases in Ireland and makes the final steps needed to support child protection and international co-operation measures.

Formal long title

Bill entitled an Act to amend the procedures applicable in proceedings for certain sexual offences including in relation to the adducing of evidence, the asking of questions, the exclusion of the public, the announcement of a verdict or decision and sentence and the anonymity of complainants and accused persons; for those and other purposes to amend the Criminal Law (Rape) Act 1981 and certain other enactments; to repeal certain provisions of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2006 and the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017; to provide for the retrospective application of certain of these repeals in certain circumstances; to provide for a mechanism for the identification of victims and presumed victims of human trafficking and the combatting of the trafficking of persons, to provide for the support of provision of assistance to such persons and, for those purposes, to provide for the establishment of a body to be known as the operational committee and to provide for its functions; to provide for the protection from deportation of certain persons; to amend the Defence Act 1954; to amend the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008; to give effect to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, done at New York on 25 May 2000, and for that purpose to amend the Sexual Offences (Jurisdiction) Act 1996 and the Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) Act 2008; and to provide for related matters.

Last updated 30 August 2024

Sponsor
  • Minister for Justice Primary
Progress
  • First Stage
    Dáil
  • Second Stage
    Dáil
  • Committee Stage
    Dáil
  • Report Stage
    Dáil
  • Fifth Stage
    Dáil
  • Second Stage
    Seanad
  • Committee Stage
    Seanad
  • Report Stage
    Seanad
  • Fifth Stage
    Seanad
  • Cream List
    Dáil
  • Enacted
    Enacted
Debates
  • Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023: From the Seanad
    Dáil
  • Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages
    Seanad
  • Criminal Offences (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023: Committee Stage
    Seanad
  • Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023: Second Stage
    Seanad
  • Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages
    Dáil
  • Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023: Committee Stage
    Select Committee on Justice
  • Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023: Second Stage
    Dáil
  • Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023: Referral to Select Committee
    Dáil

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