On 18 January 2017, the Law Council provided a submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee inquiry on the Crimes Legislation Amendment (International Crime Cooperation and Other Measures) Bill 2016.

The Law Council of Australia has supported important changes including those that would allow for:

• The protection of a child complainant who is not a witness in a proceeding, including in serious sexual exploitation, human trafficking, slavery and slavery-like practices such as forced marriage proceedings. 
• Appropriate protections and supports to be in place to ensure vulnerable witnesses are in a position to present their testimony to the court whereby the risk of intimidation, trauma, fear and/or undue public embarrassment are minimised.

The Law Council also raised concerns that applications can still be made for information from the full range of coercive processes for offences which carry the death penalty. The Law Council recommends prompt implementation of recommendations made by the last year’s joint parliamentary report: A world without the death penalty report. You can also read the Law Council’s media release.