LECC report findings present a threat to community's belief in the criminal justice system

On 31 March 2021, I wrote to the NSW Police Commissioner, Michael Fuller APM, on behalf of the solicitor arm of the legal profession expressing my concerns about the conduct uncovered by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) in its report relating to Operation Monza, which has been tabled in Parliament.

LECC found that three police officers engaged in “deliberate, deceitful and malicious harassment” of a solicitor for no legitimate policing purpose. This amounted to serious misconduct, and LECC recommended that further action be considered by the Commissioner of Police in relation to that misconduct.

As I expressed in my letter to Commissioner Fuller, the deliberate targeting of a solicitor, as uncovered by LECC, so as to impede his or her ability to represent his or her client at court is completely unacceptable and it has raised significant concerns across the legal profession.

I believe it presents a real threat to the community’s belief that the criminal justice system is operating as it should. I look forward to the Commissioner’s response to the LECC report and updating members in due course.

This week I am also emailing law firms and legal practices in the state urging them to become signatories to the Law Society’s updated Charter for the Advancement of Women and in doing so, commit to eliminating sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace.

As I was in the process of preparing this letter to the profession, the Federal Government announced its long-awaited response to the Respect@Work Report on the National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian workplaces.

The Law Society made an extensive submission (via the Law Council of Australia) to the national inquiry that led to the Respect@WorkReport and, like many, I hope this will now pave the way for a coordinated national approach to addressing and preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. I particularly welcome the Government’s intention to clarify that the scope of the Sex Discrimination Act extends to judges and members of parliament. 

In the meantime, as part of our ongoing commitment to this issue, the Law Society is working to provide sexual harassment training for NSW solicitors.

And on a final note, registrations are now open for the Future of Law and Innovation in the Legal Profession (FLIP) Roadshow at the PARKROYAL Parramatta on Friday 23 April. The half-day FLIP program will explore legal service delivery in a digital world, alternative fee arrangements, cyber and claims risks with the view to providing low-cost, innovative and sustainable solutions to improve your legal practice. I am looking forward to participating in the FLIP roadshow, which will conclude with a much anticipated networking session.

Juliana Warner, President, the Law Society of NSW

< Go back