01 September 2017
The Minister for Home Affairs has launched a public consultation to invite comments on the draft Sexual Offences (Jersey) Law 201- before it is submitted to the States Assembly for debate.
The purpose of the draft Law is to consolidate most of the sexual offences that fall within parts of Jersey’s legislation into a single enactment and to strengthen the protections in the law.
Home Affairs Minister Deputy Kristina Moore said “One of the priorities for my term in office has been to ensure that we protect our citizens from domestic and sexual violence and abuse.
“Sexual offences are a part of our criminal law that deals with the most private and intimate part of life – sexual relationships – when they are non-consensual, inappropriate or wrong. As such it reflects society’s view of what is right and wrong in sexual relations.
“One of our guiding principles is that the criminal law should not intrude unnecessarily into the private life of adults. Most consensual activity between adults in private should be their own affair, and not that of the criminal law. But the criminal law has a vital role to play to protect children and vulnerable adults.”
The new sexual offences law sets out to provide protection to individuals of all genders, and, most particularly, aims to protect children and vulnerable adults in Jersey from abuse and exploitation and ensures that abusers can be appropriately punished.
The consultation seeks views on particular aspects of the legislation to inform the final stages of the drafting process and ensure that the legislation will provide an appropriate framework for prosecuting sexual offences in the 21st century.
Sexual offences law consultation
gov.je