Emily Atack’s affirmative consent law campaign in UK explained [Video]

Emily Atack is campaigning for affirmative consent to be introduced to UK law – but what is it, and what will happen if she succeeds?

The Inbetweeners star, 34, is backing a campaign by Right To Equality, which aims to follow countries like Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Spain, Denmark, and Canada, in tightening the laws around sexual consent.

Currently, UK law considers rape to be penetration without consent, which is progressive when compared to Italy and France, whose laws say rape requires force, coercion or threat.

However, the affirmative consent model goes a step further. It means ‘anything less than a clear, uncoerced, and informed confirmation of consent like “yes” cannot qualify as consent in the eyes of the law.’

In other words, consent in the law would mean a clear enthusiastic communication of willingness to have sex, rather than the absence of a ‘no’. This could come in the form of clear words or …