Enacted Stage in the legislative process — click for what it means 62/2023 Official bill number / year
Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023
- Sponsor
- Minister for Justice
- Introduced
- 17 Jul 2023
- Last updated
- 30 Aug 2024
Bill text Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Act 2024 (PDF) As passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas (PDF) Administrative Reprint - As amended in Committee [Seanad Éireann] (PDF) As passed by Dáil Éireann (PDF) As amended in Committee/Select Committee [Dáil Éireann] (PDF) As amended in Committee/Select Committee [Dáil Éireann] (PDF) As Initiated (PDF)
What this bill does AI · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001
- Changes rape law: offence now occurs where man does not reasonably believe woman consents, replacing prior 'knowledge or recklessness' standard. Applies only to incidents after commencement.
- Protects sexual assault trial participants: anonymity extended to complainants and accused; public excluded from courtroom; verdicts need not be announced publicly; victims get separate legal representation.
- Establishes National Referral Mechanism for human trafficking: statutory process to identify victims; Operational Committee reviews applications; eligible persons protected from deportation; access to welfare and accommodation support.
Stage timeline What do these stages mean?
- First Stage 33rd Dáil17 Jul 2023
- Second Stage 33rd Dáil4 Oct 2023
- Committee Stage 33rd Dáil4 Oct 2023
- Report Stage 33rd Dáil14 Nov 2023
- Fifth Stage 33rd Dáil1 May 2024
- Second Stage 26th Seanad16 May 2024
- Committee Stage 26th Seanad26 Jun 2024
- Report Stage 26th Seanad4 Jul 2024
- Fifth Stage 26th Seanad4 Jul 2024
- Cream List 33rd Dáil10 Jul 2024
- Enacted17 Jul 2024
Debates
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