Critics seek review of Law Society
An independent review of New Zealand’s Law Society is being called for amid claims it shrouds itself in secrecy.
Wellington Women Lawyers’ Association convener Steph Dyhrberg made the call in this month’s Law Talk publication, in which she slammed the organisation as one in which a ‘‘culture of undue secrecy prevails’’.
She argued that many lawyers now saw the society as irrelevant. ‘‘The model set up 10 years ago is holding back progress.’’
Former lawyer Olivia Wensley backed the call and has already discussed it with Justice Minister Andrew Little, whom, she said, wanted to first wait for the outcome of Dame Silvia Cartwright’s working group on harassment and inappropriate behaviour in the law.
Wensley was ‘‘confident’’ a review of the Law Society would follow. She argued the society was far too secretive, as seen when it got a so-called ‘‘super-injunction’’ to prevent the release of information about a society manager mistakenly emailing details of complaints of harassment or bullying.
The Law Society argued it was trying to protect information of the complaint, rather than its own bungle. Wensley said the Law Society used section 188 of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act – which stops it commenting on whether or not it has received a specific complaint or if it is investigating a particular matter – too readily. ‘‘They use it in ways that they don’t have to.’’ This included refusing to confirm if it was investigating law firm Russell McVeagh, she said. On Sunday, Law Society president Kathryn Beck said she ‘‘totally understands the frustration’’ around the rule. ‘‘I acknowledge that is not something that helps ... transparency.’’
Cartwright’s working group would likely look at whether that rule should be changed. ‘‘People want to know what is happening and we just can’t help them.’’
A Law Society spokesman said Section 188 of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act placed legal obligations on society staff who dealt with complaints.