Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores some of the most highly criticised aspects of the legal process. It explores the impact of inadequacies of the legal response to sexual assault on victims/survivors and, in particular, an exploration of their experiences of secondary victimisation by the legal system. The chapter focuses specifically on law reform, presenting the most significant examples of remedial legislative change over the past two decades. It suggests that some aspects of feminist thinking concerning the struggles with the legal system may inadvertently contribute to a lack of a sense of agency in practitioners to challenge its oppressive processes and practices. The chapter explores the contributions that postmodernism and critical postmodernism make to expanding feminist thinking about change. It establishes the foundation for the remainder of the book by presenting the stories of the six counsellors/advocates who participated in this research.