Justice is Now

Our organisational aims are: • To lobby the Bar Council for the implementation of a system similar to the one used by the CPS for barristers who defend rape and serious sexual assault. Barristers must be on the CPS RASSO list in order to prosecute these cases. This means they will have achieved a certain level of seniority, undergone specific training and will have applied with references. There is no such requirement for defence barristers. • To introduce a Code of Conduct to hold defence barristers to account over their use of rape myths and victim blaming in court, with a view to ending this inhumane and degrading practice. • To establish ‘do no harm’ as a central tenet in the justice system in order to protect victims from unnecessary harm, whilst still maintaining the defendant’s right to a fair trial. • To lobby for all jurors to receive standardised training on rape myths before they hear any evidence in the trial. • To educate the public and challenge victim blaming by running campaigns challenging myths. • To organise grass roots campaigns outside Crown Courts when trials are being held. • To highlight cases of victim blaming in the media. • To advocate for the use of trauma therapy for victims prior to the court case.