Sexual offence expert evidence panel

Overview

Queensland Courts is piloting a Sexual Offence Expert Evidence Panel (the Panel) to allow experts to give relevant evidence in sexual violence proceedings.

The Panel will implement Recommendations 80 and 43 of the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce report Hear her voice: Report Two.

The Panel will be introduced in a staged approach and, once fully established, will have two streams of experts to service referrals for matters in specified courts at pilot locations in Brisbane and Townsville:

• Stream 1 will allow an expert to give relevant evidence about the defendant in a proceeding for a relevant offence. Specifically, as to whether the defendant’s cognitive and/or mental health impairment at the time of the alleged offence was a substantial cause of the person not saying or doing anything to ascertain whether the other person consented to the sexual act.
• Stream 2 will allow experts to give counterintuitive evidence about the nature of sexual offences and the social, psychological and cultural factors that may affect the behaviour of a person who has been, or alleges to be, the victim of a relevant sexual offence as requested by the prosecution, defence, or court.

Legislation

The Criminal Law (Coercive Control and Affirmative Consent) and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 was passed by Queensland Parliament on 6 March 2024 and contains changes to the Criminal Code and Evidence Act 1977. These changes provide the legislative basis for an expert from the Panel to give Stream 1 evidence.

Stream 1 of the Panel will address incoming referrals made regarding this legislative change from 3 February 2025.

Apply now to be appointed as a Stream 1 expert

Invitations to apply to be appointed as an expert have closed.  Further enquiries can be directed to the Program Team on (07) 3564 7748.