Perspectives

To Critique, Inform, Challenge and Entertain

Category: GENDER EQUALITY

CURRENT ISSUES / GENDER EQUALITY

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Bri Lee’s Inspirational Public Lecture

Reading Time: 2 minutes Bri spoke engagingly about her book, her time as a judge’s associate, as well as her experiences as a complainant in a sexual assault case. She also spoke about her current advocacy to reform Queensland’s outdated rape law. This law allows a person accused of sexual assault to rely on the defence that ‘they had a mistaken but honest and reasonable belief that sex was consensual’. Bri Lee came across as a very bright, eloquent, committed and brave young woman. I was particularly impressed with her capacity to see the big picture.

GENDER EQUALITY

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A Husband’s Right to Sex with His Wife – A ‘Fundamental Human Right’

Reading Time: 4 minutes An application sought a court order preventing a husband from having sex with his wife, who appeared to lack the capacity to consent to have sex with him. The judge’s réponse was to observe. ‘I cannot think of any more obviously fundamental human right than the right of a man to have sex with his wife – and the right of the state to monitor that,” he said. “I think he is entitled to have it properly argued.’ But, no such right exists in English or Australian law, as both parties are required to consent to sex.