Women oppose new Criminal Code
By Kerry Vernon
Brisbane — A broad coalition of women's and legal groups has been formed to expose the inequities for women in the proposed new Criminal Code and to stop the Queensland government from enacting it.
The proposed code fails to address key issues of concern to women, including:
- repeal of all abortion laws so that quality abortion services are provided on the same basis as other health services;
- broadening the offence of rape so that oral rape and rape with an object are recognised as forms of rape;
- abolition of the corroboration rule, which requires the victim's evidence to be confirmed by some independent evidence in a rape trial; this rule is based on the myth that women lie about rape;
- ensuring that the defences of self-defence and provocation can be used by women who kill or attack violent partners;
- abolition of mandatory life sentences for murder and an urgent review of the sentences of all women who have been convicted of murdering their violent male partners;
- decriminalising of prostitution, as recommended by the Criminal Justice Commission.
The draft bill also abolishes the rights to criminal compensation which are at present contained in the Criminal Code.
The draft of the new Criminal Code was released to the public during the holiday period for comments within six weeks, ending February 17. The draft ignores detailed comments by women's groups at an earlier stage of the review, including a review of the code in a document prepared by the Women's Legal Service titled Rougher Than Usual Handling.
The Criminal Code Review Committee was composed of men only and was barred from reviewing the provisions on abortion and prostitution.
The Coalition of Women for a Realistic Criminal Code is organising a public campaign and welcomes support. A public rally will be held on February 17 (see calendar, pp. 22-23). For more information contact Kym Daly on 357 5570 or Jo Lewis on 844 6397.