Unions demand legal reforms to protect survivors
SYDNEY — Unions in New South Wales are calling for immediate legislative changes to prevent the subpoenaing of sexual assault survivors’ counselling records, according to a statement released today. This push aims to close a legal loophole that currently allows defence lawyers to access these sensitive documents.
Mark Morey stated, “Nearly 100,000 Australian women have been sexually assaulted by a co-worker in the last decade, making it a significant workplace issue. The NSW Criminal Procedure Act must be amended. No survivor should walk into a courtroom and discover that the defendant’s lawyers have been reading their therapy sessions.”
Impact on Sexual Assault Survivors
The call for change is supported by alarming statistics from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics, which reported 12,825 incidents of sexual assault in the twelve months to September 2025. This number is believed to represent only a fraction of the true extent, as the Australian Bureau of Statistics notes that just 8.3% of such incidents are reported to the police.
Unions NSW is seeking amendments to clauses 295 to 299 of the Act to establish absolute legal privilege over counselling communications in sexual assault cases. This would align NSW with the protections that many survivors believe are already in place when they seek help from counselling services.
Source: newshub.medianet.com.au
Last updated: 2 April 2026, 4:33 pm
