Re-examining the understanding of agency and consent in law concerning sexual offences involving autistic people

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Law that governs sexual offences must strike a balance between respecting adult's sexual lives and protecting those who are vulnerable to sexual abuse. This issue arises, among others, for autistic people, as one group identified with this vulnerability. There are various concerns about how this balance is achieved by relevant law in England and Wales, particularly regarding the role played by the assessment of capacities for understanding, currently required for sexual consent. The PhD will examine this issue, with reference to philosophy, human rights and the views of people with lived experience, with the aim of contributing to law-reform.