Sexual Harassment - A Guide to the New Offence for Criminal Lawyers

Introduction

Following #MeToo the news has been replete with stories of sexual harassment. Many will be surprised to know that sexual harassment was not a specific criminal offence until 2023.

This lacuna in the criminal law was finally closed by the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act 2023. Whilst not in force yet, it is imperative that practitioners understand this new offence and how it will complement public order offences already on the statute books.

This new offence supplements work that the CPS has conducted around its Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy, making it easier to prosecute street-based offending.

This webinar will further explore the law on harassment, stalking, controlling and coercive behaviour and sexual assault. This will assist practitioners to understand when harassment becomes a sexual offence.

What You Will Learn

This webinar will cover the following:

• What constitutes sexual harassment under the criminal law?
• The offence of controlling and coercive behaviour and how this has been amended by recent legislation
• The difference between harassment and stalking
• The law on sexual assault and what protections exist under the Sexual Offences Act 2003

This webinar was recorded on 13th May 2024

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