THE government has agreed to amend three laws related to sexual offences against children.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said said the approval to amend Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, Evidence of Child Witness Act 2007 and Evidence Act 1950 was given on February 24.

She said the amendments would be carried out in two phases, with the first phase comprising three proposed amendments to be implemented in this Dewan Rakyat session. The second phase will be implemented in the next parliament session.

“The proposed amendments include the introduction of additional child-friendly measures to protect child victims, the creation of new offences and the granting of compensation to child victims,” she said during her winding-up speech on Budget 2023 today.

Azalina said the proposed reform is intended to prevent child victims or witnesses from having to go through a lengthy, repetitive judicial process and a child-unfriendly justice system, thereby suffering long-term trauma.

She said the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department is also conducting a study to enact the Public Defenders Bill to offer assistance in cases holistically.

She said it is aimed at giving everyone the opportunity to access justice, especially those who are unable to do so.

The National Legal Aid Foundation has provided criminal legal aid services to 657,057 people from 2020 to 2022. – Bernama, March 8, 2023.