Law Society announces regulatory working group membership

The New Zealand Law Society has announced the members of the working group which will consider if improvements can be made to enable better reporting of harassment in the legal profession to the Law Society. The working group will be chaired by Dame Silvia Cartwright, who was a District Court Judge…

Wellington lawyer struck off roll for disgraceful conduct

A Wellington lawyer has been struck off the roll of barristers and solicitors for disgraceful and dishonourable conduct. Ian David Hay was found guilty of one charge which included a reckless breach of Rule 5.10 of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008. The charge before the…

Comments on the judiciary by lawyers

Lawyers are quite entitled to express views publicly which are critical of judicial decisions made in cases where they have not appeared, but they are expected to be careful not to do so in a way that may undermine public confidence in the judicial system when doing so, New Zealand…

Operation of lawyers standards committees clarified

Each of New Zealand’s 24 lawyers standards committees is required to make its own decisions based on the particular facts before it and after considering the views of the parties, the New Zealand Law Society says. Reported comments by an Auckland barrister on her interactions with a standards committee have focused…

Law Society releasing Gender Equality Charter to legal profession today

The New Zealand Law Society is releasing its Gender Equality Charter to the legal profession today. It’s the Law Society’s response to concern about a lack of progression of women lawyers into senior positions such as partners and directors of law firms, Queen’s Counsel as well as chief legal advisers or…

Property forfeiture not appropriate for infringement offences

The New Zealand Law Society says is does not consider that forfeiture of property is an appropriate legal consequence of committing an infringement offence. In a submission to Parliament’s Environment Committee on the Conservation (Infringement System) Bill, the Law Society says the bill introduces an infringement system into conservation related legislation.…

National survey of NZ lawyers underway

New Zealand’s practising lawyers have been sent a survey which aims to gather information on workplace environments in the legal profession. The New Zealand Law Society has commissioned research firm Colmar Brunton to carry out the survey, which has been sent to over 13,250 New Zealand-based lawyers. The survey is one of…

Law Society launches online resources to combat harassment and bullying

The New Zealand Law Society has released a range of online and other resources as part of its actions against bullying and sexual harassment in the legal profession. The resources can be accessed from a new section on the Law Society's website, Bullying and harassment in the legal profession: The resources include…

Responsibility rests with whole legal profession

All members of the legal profession need to take responsibility for fostering a professional culture where harassment of any kind is unacceptable, the President of the Otago branch of the New Zealand Law Society, John Farrow, says. Writing in the latest issue of the branch’s newsletter Cur Adv Vult, Mr Farrow…

Law Society supports changes to improve New Zealanders' access to legislation

The New Zealand Law Society welcomes proposals to improve the quality of legislation and to make it easier for people to access and understand legislation that affects their legal rights and obligations. The Law Society has presented its submission on the Legislation Bill to Parliament’s Justice Committee, and said it supported…