Enable victim-survivors to pre-record their full testimony in NSW - Email Labor and Liberal parties

Currently, victim-survivors of sexual assault often have to wait months - and sometimes years - to give their testimony at trial. They are forced to recount one of the most traumatic experiences of their lives in graphic detail, in front of the person who assaulted them and a room full of strangers.

Fair Agenda is campaigning to change this and reduce the trauma of the trial process. We want all victim-survivors of sexual violence to have the choice to pre-record their full testimony (evidence-in-chief, cross-examination and re-examination) in a safe and secure setting, close to their support networks and …

Currently, victim-survivors of sexual assault often have to wait months - and sometimes years - to give their testimony at trial. They are forced to recount one of the most traumatic experiences of their lives in graphic detail, in front of the person who assaulted them and a room full of strangers.

Fair Agenda is campaigning to change this and reduce the trauma of the trial process. We want all victim-survivors of sexual violence to have the choice to pre-record their full testimony (evidence-in-chief, cross-examination and re-examination) in a safe and secure setting, close to their support networks and away from the person who harmed them.

Pre-recorded testimony has many benefits for victim-survivors, including:

Being able to give evidence earlier, before the trial, reducing the harm caused by lengthy delays.
Reducing the trauma of having to recount their experiences in court.
Increasing victim-survivors' choice and agency in the justice process.
Improving the quality and reliability of evidence.

Will you support our campaign and help ensure victim-survivors have the choice to pre-record their full testimony?

+

Email Labor and Liberal parties in NSW

10 emails sent

Write to Labor and Liberal party representatives and call on them to give victim-survivors the right to pre-record their full testimony, including evidence-in-chief, cross-examination and re-examination, to reduce the trauma survivors can experience through the criminal justice process.

Where do you live?

Compose your email

Name

Email

Subject:

Dear Attorney General Michael Daley and Shadow Attorney General Susan Carter,

I am writing as a NSW resident to ask both the Labor and Liberal parties to commit to introducing full pre-recorded testimony for victim-survivors of sexual assault at the next NSW election.

I recently learned about Recommendation 28 of the Australian Law Reform Commission’s Justice Responses to Sexual Violence report, which recommends allowing victim-survivors to give their full evidence in advance, including evidence-in-chief, cross-examination and re-examination.

I believe this is an important reform that would make the justice system fairer and less traumatic for people who have experienced sexual violence.

Both the Labor and Liberal parties in Victoria have committed to introducing pre-recorded testimony. I would like to see NSW follow their lead rather than fall behind on these important reforms.

There is also evidence from the evaluation of the NSW children's pre-recorded evidence program that this approach can have positive outcomes for the justice system, including fewer appeals and more guilty pleas.

I urge you to make a commitment to introduce full pre-recorded testimony for adult victim-survivors of sexual assault, covering their entire evidence, including cross-examination and re-examination, as an election promise.

This is an important opportunity for NSW to make the justice system fairer and more supportive for victim-survivors.

How we use the data you enter on this form

Do Gooder (the advocacy platform powering this online action) processes personal information from you that you enter on this form so that we can provide the functions and related services to you and The Campaigner (the organisation responsible for this online action) for their legitimate purposes, including possibly exporting it to other systems, and to effectively respond to enquiries and communications related to those services.

Specifically when you enter:

Your location data (residential address or postcode) it is used to locate your elected representative, to pre-populate your email signature and to provide The Campaigner with a visualisation of the location of the support for this campaign.
All other data you may enter, including your email address, name, telephone number, commentary and so on is used by The Campaigner to advocate for the campaign’s goals and where required may be sent to the target of the campaign.

The data collected by Do Gooder is also used by us in aggregate form to improve the service and may be held on your behalf outside your country of residence by our third party service providers. These providers are bound by contract to only use personal information on our behalf, in accordance with agreed terms. While the privacy laws of the country in which personal information is stored or transferred may be different from those in your country, we will always have safeguards in place when storing or transferring personal information. We will never sell, rent, loan or in any other way pass your information on to other parties other than to provide this service to you and The Campaigner.

The personal information collected by Do Gooder is held subject to a Data Processing Agreement between Do Gooder and The Campaigner in compliance with the EU's GDPR and Australian law.

Learn more about our privacy policy here

How is my data used?