Rape Myths as Barriers to Fair Trial Process

Elisabeth McDonald is a Professor of Law at the University of Canterbury. She has taught and published in the areas of sexual and family violence, law and sexuality, criminal law and the law of evidence for 30 years, as an academic and as the Policy Manager for the evidence law reference at the New Zealand Law Commission. Elisabeth is the author of a number of evidence law textbooks and online legal resources, as well as co-editor of 'From "Real Rape" to Real Justice' (2011) and 'Feminist Judgments Aotearoa: Te Rino, the Two-Stranded Rope' (2017). In June 2018, she became a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for Services to Law and Education.

Foreword
Contributors
Preface and acknowledgements
Note to the reader
CHAPTER ONE: A research response to reform resistant questioning process in adult rape
CHAPTER TWO: About the research: cases, methodology and analysis.
CHAPTER THREE: Research focussing on rape myths: exposing or reinforcing?
CHAPTER FOUR: Complainant care and support before and during the trial
CHAPTER FIVE: Admissibility decisions in adult rape cases: evidence of the complainant's disposition in sexual matters
CHAPTER SIX: Admissibility decisions in adult rape cases: other rules of significance
CHAPTER SEVEN: Representations and meaning of consent in questioning and jury directions
CHAPTER EIGHT: Form, content and control of questions about complainant credibility
CHAPTER NINE: Rape myths: reinforcement and resistance in closings and jury directions
CHAPTER TEN: Proposals for changes to law and practice
APPENDIX ONE: Summaries of the cases in the principal and pilot studies
APPENDIX TWO: Relevant legislation
APPENDIX THREE: Trial process reform in adult rape cases: summary for consultative workshops
APPENDIX FOUR: Workshop attendees