Ban on sex offenders contacting victims

The courts will have the power to impose harassment orders from today , which ban convicted sex offenders from contacting or approaching their victim for a specified time.

The orders can prohibit an offender from communicating with their victims by any means, or from coming within a specified distance of their home, workplace, or any other place they frequent, as designated by the court.

The provision, which comes under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 2017, allows the harassment orders to be imposed at the time of an offender’s sentencing, or at any time before their release from prison.