The 2015 Sexual Offences Amendment Act: Laudable amendments in line with the Teddy Bear clinic case.

Abstract

Two years ago the Constitutional Court invalidated provisions in the Sexual Offences Act which outlawed sexual conduct between adolescents. Parliament was ordered to fix the relevant provisions and to decriminalise consensual sexual activity between adolescents. In July 2015 the Amendment Act came into operation with the aim of revising the current Sexual Offences Act in line with the Constitutional Court judgment. This article evaluates some of the changes contained in the Amendment Act to determine its alignment with the ruling of the Constitutional Court. It also considers how the changes will impact the reporting obligations of health providers.