An independent review is to be carried out into the effectiveness of the Sexual Offences and Obscene Publications Act, which came into force just under two years ago.

The review is being led by Kate Blackwell KC, who has extensive experience in sexual offences cases, both as a judge and a barrister. 

Her work will evaluate the Act’s effectiveness since its introduction and examine its impact on victims, law  enforcement and the courts. 

Introduced in March 2024, the Act aimed to modernise sexual offences legislation, increasing maximum sentences in a number of areas and creating new offences such as revenge porn, voyeurism and ‘upskirting’.

It also outlawed conversion therapy and updated child abuse and child exploitation offences.

But it also contains provisions that give anonymity to suspects in sex cases unless and until they are convicted.

Justice and Home Affairs Minister Jane Poole-Wilson had given a commitment to review the Act after 18 months, allowing sufficient time to assess whether its provisions are working as intended. 

The review will assess the impact and effectiveness of the legislation in relation to law enforcement , prosecution services , the judiciary  and victim support.

Its aim is to  identify areas for improvement, ensure the legislation is delivering its intended outcomes, and highlight where future amendments may be beneficial. 

It’s not clear whether the review will consider the impact on how cases are reported in the media. Trials of sexual offence cases now go unreported due to the ban on naming the defendant - and are only reported following a conviction and sentence.

The Minister said: ‘The Act was designed to bring more perpetrators to justice and to give reassurance to victims. It is important to have an independent assessment to ensure it is meeting its objectives.’ 

The public summary of the final report is expected to be published by August.