The wrongful prosecution of a man for rape could spark changes to the anonymity law surrounding complainants in sex cases.

Alleged victims of sexual offences are granted lifelong anonymity under the law although in certain circumstances it can be lifted by a judge.

But the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, told the House of Lords this week that ministers were “actively” considering the issue in a bid to prevent future miscarriages of justice.

The matter was under discussion because of a recent case where a man was wrongly imprisoned after a woman falsely claimed that he had raped her. He was cleared by the Court of Appeal but the woman – who had a long history of fabricating such claims – retained her right to lifelong anonymity.

Although she was named in the House of Lords, and her identity revealed in the parliamentary record Hansard, most of the press did not name her.

Media Lawyer reported that a spokesman for Lord Goldsmith said: “As the Attorney General made clear today, the Government is committed to the principle of anonymity for rape complainants.

“We remain of the view that this is essential to encourage sex offence victims to come forward and report such crimes.

“However the Government is reviewing the law governing the courts’ powers to lift anonymity for rape complainants in limited circumstances where there is a case for forestalling further miscarriages of justice.”

Labour peer Lord Campbell-Savours urged the Government to reach an early decision.