The new service, Counselling Notes Protect, provides free legal assistance to sexual assault victims with the promise to protect their private counselling sessions from becoming public in court proceedings.
Under the laws introduced last year, sexual assault victims’ counselling records are protected from being available during a court case unless they or the court give permission for records to be produced, noted a statement from Ms D’Ath’s office. The court’s permission is also needed before a subpoena to access counselling notes can be issued, it added.
“Before we stepped in, private counselling sessions could be called as evidence by an accused person, which often caused further harm to the victim and may have prevented people from getting the help they need to recover from the trauma of a sexual assault.
https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/biglaw/23733-legal-bodies-new-partnership-to-aid-victims-of-sexual-assault?utm_source=LawyersWeekly&utm_campaign=31_07_18&utm_medium=email&utm_content=6
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