Advocates say measure could ease courtroom trauma
Advocacy groups have welcomed the Victorian government’s commitment to update laws allowing more sexual assault survivors to pre-record their testimony, describing it as a significant step towards reducing trauma in the court system.
National gender equity campaign group Fair Agenda said the reform will give survivors the option to record their evidence before trial, rather than waiting years to testify in person. Jacinta Masters, campaign manager at Fair Agenda, said current rules were placing survivors under prolonged stress.
“Right now many survivors are forced to wait years to give their evidence at trial, often facing multiple delays to their trial date, facing anticipatory anxiety and stress as they have to remain ready to recount the most traumatic moments of their life in graphic detail”, Masters said. “With pre-recorded testimony, survivors can start their healing journey earlier”.
Masters also pointed to institutional backing for the measure.
“Changing laws to provide more victim-survivors the option to pre-record their testimony has been backed by legal experts from both the Victorian and Australian Law Reform Commission – expanding access to this option makes sense at a policy level, and a human level”, she said.
Survivor advocate Marita Forsyth, who said she waited five years for her own case to reach court, said the announcement carried personal significance.
“I have lived with the devastating impacts of how the legal system compounds trauma,” Forsyth said. “I welcome the Victorian government’s decision to expand pre-recorded testimony. It’s a meaningful step towards giving victim-survivors real choice in a system where choice has so often been denied. There is still so much that needs to be fixed in the justice system, but today’s announcement is a genuinely positive step forward.”
Fellow survivor advocate Rebecca Hall echoed the sentiment.
“I had to give evidence in court, and I know how confronting that experience is,” Hall said. “Allowing pre-recorded testimony means victim-survivors can now be heard without reliving that trauma – this will make a big difference.”
The reform, which was announced by Victoria attorney-general Sonya Kilkenny, has drawn support from 20 gender equity, sexual assault, and community legal organisations, which signed an open letter to the premier describing the measure as long overdue.
Masters called on other jurisdictions to act, noting that the NT and Queensland had already legislated pre-recorded testimony.
“There’s no excuse for delay – pre-recorded testimony must be implemented nationwide,” she said.
Fair Agenda said it would continue to monitor the implementation of the reform to ensure it delivers a framework that supports victim-survivors in participating in the justice system without fear, trauma, or unnecessary delay.
