"Earlier this year [2018] the legal profession was shocked and chastened by the disclosure of reports of sexual harassment against young lawyers and summer clerks. As the publicity expanded, more and more incidents were revealed. The New
Zealand Law Society examined its regulatory history and processes, and rapidly came to the due largely to the fact that its procedures were inadequate to deal with complaints of sexual violence and harassment, bullying and discrimination. Disciplinary procedures designed to protect consumers of legal services simply could not accommodate such sensitive complaints." (From the Foreword).

This report was prepared by a five-person independent working group established by the law Society in March and chaired by Dame Silvia Cartwright.

The report identifies a range of problems with the current reporting regime and concludes that the regulatory mechanisms and processes are not effectively designed for dealing with complaints about sexual violence, harassment, discrimination and bullying.

The Law Society’s Board has accepted the recommendations made in a report on the regulatory processes for lawyers where unacceptable workplace behaviour occurs. (From the media release). Record #6144