Consent Interruptus: What Happens When Consent Is Withdrawn?

Commentary How quickly can men respond to a female red flag? That’s a critical issue highlighted by our new affirmative consent laws, where not only is consent required throughout sexual activity, but women can pull the plug whenever they feel like it. And men are expected to snap to attention. Easier said than done, you might say. Well, that’s the issue. Most judges seem to assume that there’s no problem in expecting an immediate retreat from the male in response to the female revoking consent. Never any consideration of whether he even noticed the red flag, or realised what it was, or whether she was waving it clearly, or maybe that he might have been frozen, rendered immobile due to surprise and shock....