The draconian legislation, [J4MB: Long-overdue and reasonable legislation] which introduces a blanket ban on the identification of sex offender suspects until 25 years after their death if they are not charged, was described as an ‘affront to open justice’ yesterday.
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Justice for Men & Boys 
Complainants are entitlement to anonymity. Defendants should have the same right to anonymity that can only be lost if and when convicted. Too many innocent defendants despite being acquitted, have had their lives destroyed.
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Thank you. Couldn’t agree more.
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The report is confused. And unsurprising as the DM as much as the rest of the media delight in salacious gossip and just the sort of “trial by media” this may reduce. Well done NI. It seems entirely right that this protects those who have not been charged. The DM conveniently forgets Saville was never charged with anything and wasn’t under investigation. Everything blew up after his death, and this law would not prevent such speculation/accusation/investigation off dead people. Quite separate from the Law Commission in England where the proposals are to hold the actual trial in “secret” to protect the “victim” (aka complainant ) from being embarrassed. In NI once charged the accused loses the anonymity. And in the Law Commission proposal the accused and defendant has no such right. So all that changes for the defendant is that their evidence is not public.
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