Rape victims in England and Wales to be protected from ‘serial liar’ trope in legal shake-up

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 4 min read 100% complete by Alexandra ToppingDecember 2, 2025 at 11:30 PM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

In England and Wales, new legal reforms aim to protect rape victims from being portrayed as "serial liars" in court. Justice Secretary David Lammy announced measures to prevent victims from being questioned about past reported rapes without warning, addressing concerns that sensitive details are used to discredit them. The reforms will restrict the use of "bad character" evidence related to a victim's sexual history or abuse, unless there's evidence of prior false claims. Conversely, prosecutors will find it easier to introduce "bad character" evidence against defendants in domestic abuse cases. These changes, alongside £550m in victim support funding, seek to encourage victims to remain engaged with the criminal justice system, which faces significant backlogs and trial delays. Legislation is expected to be put before parliament next year.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

England and Wales 70% David Lammy ×280%

Keywords

rape victims 100% criminal justice system 80% legal reform 70% bad character evidence 70% domestic abuse 60% sexual history 50% victim support 50% courtroom 50% jury trials 40%