Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction has been overturned by a New York court.

The court found that the judge at his trial had shown “prejudice” by allowing women to testify about allegations that were not part of the case. The New York Court of Appeals overruled the decision in a 4-3 verdict. A new trial has now been ordered.

Weinstein, the disgraced Oscar-winning producer, is currently serving a 23-year sentence at the Mohawk Correctional Facility in the state of New York on rape and sexual assault charges. He will remain imprisoned as he was also convicted of rape in Los Angeles in 2022 and sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison.

Back in 2017, Weinstein was hit with a litany of sexual assault allegations which sparked the global #MeToo movement. Weinstein was accused of bullying, pressuring, and coercing women into performing sexual favours. Actresses including Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek, Lupita Nyong'o and Ashley Judd accused Weinstein of sexual harassment, while others such as Asia Argento and Rose McGowan accused him of raping them.

Weinstein’s accusers could now be forced to recount their harrowing stories again on the witness stand.

“[Weinstein] was convicted by a jury for various sexual crimes against three named complainants and, on appeal, claims that he was judged, not on the conduct for which he was indicted, but on irrelevant, prejudicial, and untested allegations of prior bad acts,” read the New York appeals’ decision. “The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial.”

“Today’s decision is a major step back in holding those accountable for acts of sexual violence,” said Douglas Wigdor, an attorney who represented two pre-trial witnesses in New York. “Courts routinely admit evidence of other uncharged acts where they assist juries in understanding issues concerning the modus operandi or scheme of the defendant. The jury was instructed on the relevance of this testimony and overturning the verdict is tragic in that it will require the victims to endure yet another trial.”