Sexual Violence on Trial: Local and Comparative Perspectives: A Conference Organised by the Queen’s University Belfast Human Rights Centre and Gender Network

• Main Authors: Killean, Rachel, Dowds, Eithne, McAlinden, Anne-Marie
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/gender_equality; name=SDG 5 - Gender Equality; /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/peace_justice_and_strong_institutions; name=SDG 16 - Peace; Justice and Strong Institutions; Iceland
• Online Access: https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/fce5edfc-65f9-4f67-a123-84a5f7932102; https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/files/204303021/Sexual_Violence_Conference_Report_.pdf

On the 11th and 12th September, Queen’s University School of Law’s Human Rights Centre and Gender Network hosted a conference entitled ‘Sexual Violence on Trial: Local and Comparative Perspectives’. The decision to host the conference followed the launch of the Northern Ireland Criminal Justice Board’s independent review of the arrangements to deliver justice in serious sexual offence trials led by Sir John Gillen. This review explores the law and procedure covering the development and progression of cases of alleged serious sexual offences, taking account of experience from recent cases in Northern Ireland and developments in neighbouring jurisdictions. In addition to drafting a response to this review, the Human Rights Centre and Gender Network decided to arrange a conference in order to explore some of the issues raised by the review with relevant experts. The conference brought together practitioners, politicians and academics from the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Iceland, who discussed legal, procedural, social and political aspects of prosecuting serious sexual violence. In addition to bringing together expert participants, the conference was invitation only, and included attendees from various organisations within the criminal justice system, activists, academics and staff from civil society organisations who work with victims of sexual violence. The conference organisers hoped that in bringing together diverse perspectives on this important issue, the event could prompt conversation and debate around the issues raised by the Criminal Justice Board Review. The purpose of this report is to summarise the topics discussed over the course of the two days, with the aim of providing another resource to the Criminal Justice Board, as well as to anyone else with an interest in this important topic.