Affirmative consent legislation has passed the NSW Parliament.
This means all NSW residents must take reasonable steps to ensure consent has been given before every time any sexual activities occur. Both adults must consent and consent can be withdrawn at any time.
This reform has been driven by the courage of Saxon Mullins and her experience being sexually assaulted, and takes into account that someone being assaulted is not always able to communicate that they do not consent. The previous law put the onus on the victim-survivor to prove they had communicated they were not consenting, rather than on the perpetrator to ensure that they were.
Ms Mullins tweeted after the law passed: “Every survivor and expert who helped this through changed the world today.”
“Not sure if I want to cry, dance, or drink champagne. Think I’m going to do a combination of all three,” she added.
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