Clause 1 - Rape
Sexual Offences Bill [Lords]
9:10 am
Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking, Conservative)
My hon. Friend is making an interesting and good argument. He will recall that in April this year the chairman of the Criminal Bar Association, Mr. Peter Rook, appeared before the Home Affairs Committee. He and the CBA thought that so far as the forced oral sex offence was concerned, although it was an extremely serious matter, it should not necessarily come within the definition of rape. He was worried that if it were included in that definition, some juries might be less inclined to convict someone of rape.