At first glance: Sexual assault play used to train judges in NI

An award-winning play about sexual assault and the legal system will be used to train judges in Northern Ireland.

Jodie Comer starred in Prima Facie in both the West End and Broadway.

A recorded version of the program will be made available to judges hearing sexual assault cases in Northern Ireland’s courts.

Ms. Comer played the character of Tessa in the one-woman show about a lawyer who defends people accused of sexual assault before she herself is raped by a colleague.

Playwright Suzie Miller told BBC News NI she believes theater can transform society.

“When you take a character and show someone what’s wrong rather than telling them, it’s really easy to spot it when it’s in the context of a story and with a character you really care about,” she said .

Ms Miller said she believes it “engages people and makes them aware of where the injustice lies”.

She said she received calls from “so many” judges who came to see the play.

“This is a conversation everyone needs to have, and we need to have it now,” she said.

“We need to talk about what we can do in our court system to actually protect someone who is a complainant and encourage people to complain.”

“Encourage them to trust that there will be an outcome that is at least not re-traumatic for them, but is best believed in.”

“The more aware our judges are in court, the better able they are to engage with and denounce what they see as a rape myth.”

Rosie Cowan, a lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast, has studied the impact of rape myths in criminal cases.

She told BBC News NI that using the play could be an effective tool in training judges.

“I think it will be a very compelling reminder of the power of rape myths in society.

“Rape myths are false beliefs and stereotypes about rape, such as what a victim wears or how much they drink, or even what happens in the play, their previous sexual history.”

“There is extensive research, including my own, that has found that rape myths influence many people towards complainants.”

A memorable line from the play highlights the character’s journey through his perception of the criminal justice system: “Once you see, you can’t see anymore.”

“I remember when I was in law school I found it really strange that a defense attorney could hold up a pair of underwear that most of the women on the faculty were wearing that day at the university,” Ms. Miller said.

“And so…that means you wanted sex.”

“I thought I was wearing pretty decent underwear, but that doesn’t mean I’m here wanting to be raped,” she said.

“And I remember thinking that there was something very wrong in this area of ​​law, but I couldn’t articulate it properly because I was a human rights activist and I believed in innocence until proven guilty.”

“So I thought there was something missing. There is a fundamental key missing here that they are actually designed to fail in court.”

Prima Facie also highlights court delays and the resulting impact on victims.

This prompted Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan to announce that judges would receive more training.

In a statement, she said: “The Judicial Studies Board regularly monitors developments and innovations to identify materials and resources that could improve the quality of training for judges.”

“The subject matter of a particular training may include new legislation or case law, newly available research, or any other available material that may enhance the learning outcomes of legal participants.”