A public consultation has opened as part of a wide‑ranging review of the Sexual Offences and Obscene Publications Act 2021.
Residents, stakeholders and organisations are invited to share their views on how well the modernised legislation is working.
The Department of Home Affairs committed to reviewing the Act after 18 months of operation to ensure it continues to protect victims, support effective investigation and prosecution, and respond to emerging forms of offending.
The independent review is being led by Kate Blackwell KC, a specialist in complex legal reviews and sexual offences cases.
Sexual Offences Legislation
The 2021 Act replaced older legislation and introduced new offences reflecting digital and social risks, including image‑based abuse, online grooming, voyeurism and upskirting, while strengthening child‑protection and sentencing provisions.
Feedback is being sought on how effectively the Act has been implemented across policing, prosecution and the courts, its impact on criminal‑justice resourcing, victim experience, sentencing, and child safeguarding.
Since coming into force in March 2024, the Act has contributed to significant changes in how sexual offences are reported and handled on the island.
Justice and Home Affairs Minister Jane Poole‑Wilson MHK said the review would help ensure the legislation remains “robust, fair and responsive to the needs of victims and the wider community,” and encouraged anyone with an interest in strengthening the Island’s approach to sexual offences to take part.
Details on how to submit feedback are available online, with paper copies also accessible by email or post.
The review cannot consider or reopen individual cases, and submissions will be anonymised in the final report.
