The purpose of the plain English Summary is to enhance public accessibility to the content of the consultation paper and to encourage responses from as wide an audience as possible, in particular from those who have suffered the consequences of violent crime.

The Law Reform Commission’s director of research, Rebecca Coen, said that the aim is to make the commission’s work more accessible and to build connections to the community, civil society, and other key stakeholders.

“We adopt an end-user focus in our law reform work, which means that we carefully consider the impact of our proposed reforms on those who are most likely to be directly affected. In the case of victims of crime, that means considering the physical and psychological effects of crime that may make it difficult for some victims to read and engage with the full consultation paper. We want to consult with those who use and are affected by the law,” she said.