The legislation edit
In Ireland, people who write character reference letters for sex offenders can now be cross examined in court about their support. Under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023, people who give character references after a guilty plea or verdict now have to do it under oath or by affidavit, meaning they can be asked questions about that support.
There had been growing opposition to allowing such references to be used as mitigating factors when judges are making sentencing decisions – with survivors saying their own testimony was devalued when the last words heard in court were positive ones about their perpetrator.
Closer to home, in July last year, New South Wales criminalized coercive control (which is described as abusive behaviours towards a current or former partner with the intention to coerce or control them.) Queensland followed suit this year with the definition covering any family relationship.
Queensland has also introduced legislation that would limit the use of good character references in sentencing. At the same time, it's looking at reclassifying 16- and 17-year-old victims of sexual crimes to bring them under legislation that specifically protects children. Well done Queensland!
California was the first US state to move against Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) which stop victim-survivors of sexual harassment speaking about their experiences. The 2018 legislation was strengthened in 2021 with the Silenced No More Act, which added protections around all forms of workplace discrimination and violations of labour laws or safety standards.
In 2021, the Federal government followed suit when Congress passed the Speak Out Act, allowing to talk about their experiences with harassment or assault at work.
On September 1 2025, Austria officially banned unsolicited dic pics. This made headlines in Europe – but did you know Aotearoa New Zealand has had a similar ban in place since 2015? (along with a bunch of other countries, including the United Kingdom)
The Harmful Digital Communications Act bans the sending of unsolicited intimate images. The maximum penalty under the law, is 10 years in jail or $50,000.
