The counselling room is not a court room: Bill must protect sexual violence survivors' right to fair trial

Rape Crisis Ireland supports the changes to the law on counselling notes, but they need more work 

Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan briefs the media last February following Cabinet approval for key amendments to the Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 which include a presumption of non-disclosure for counselling notes in sexual offence trials. Photo: Leah Farrell / © RollingNews.ie

Discussions about sexual violence survivors’ counselling notes have been hard to miss in recent media coverage. What that coverage has brought into view is a struggle that has been fought for over 20 years — and the severe toll it has taken on survivors. 

The proposed amendments to the Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 are only the latest advances in that struggle.