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When Yes Actually Means Yes

Confusing Messages and Criminalising Consent

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Rape Justice

Abstract

There is little question that unwanted — that is, non-consensual — sexual activities have rightly been the focus of much public concern, academic debate and criminal justice system response. A primary concern for regulators in choosing to use criminal law is the protection of those who are subjected to unwanted sexual activity. However, regulators have also enacted criminal prohibitions against a range of other sexual activities that are consensual and not unwanted by the individuals involved. Although a number of common law jurisdictions have sought a clear and coherent rationale for the selection and categorisation of acts to be contained more generally within the criminal law, there has been little success to date in creating a coherent body of law. As such, the regulation of sex, in particular, through the criminal law, is done in an ad hoc and crude manner.

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Authors
  1. James A. Roffee
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. RMIT University, Australia

    Anastasia Powell

  2. La Trobe University, Australia

    Nicola Henry

  3. Monash University, Australia

    Asher Flynn

Copyright information

© 2015 James A. Roffee

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Roffee, J.A. (2015). When Yes Actually Means Yes. In: Powell, A., Henry, N., Flynn, A. (eds) Rape Justice. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137476159_5

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