1 July 2024New anonymous sexual harassment reporting tool
The Legal Services Commission has today launched a new online reporting tool for members of the legal profession to anonymously report instances of sexual harassment. The launch of the reporting tool coincides with the release of the Commission’s new website and digital enquiry form.
The sexual harassment reporting tool will be accessible on the Commission’s website and provides a safe and secure portal through which instances of sexual harassment related to the legal profession can be reported. Reporters could be affected persons or witnesses and can give as much or as little detail as they feel comfortable providing.
The tool provides the option for reporters to identify themselves or remain anonymous throughout the entire process and gives them control over how their report will progress, including whether they want to make a formal complaint to the Commission.
The reporting tool will be available to anyone, including clients or legal support staff, to report their experiences of harassment within the legal profession. Details of available support services are provided within the reporting tool and will be highlighted to reporters throughout their contact with the Commission.
Reports will be reviewed by the Commission’s specially trained Sexual Harassment Response Team who have undertaken trauma informed response training to ensure they are adequately equipped to respond to reports of inappropriate conduct and appropriately engage with reporters. Reporters will have a single point of contact within the response team who will have carriage over their report from start to finish.
The reporting tool features secure login for users and a two-way chat which allows users to engage with the team at the Commission in real-time or at their own convenience and anonymously if they wish.
Where reporters remain anonymous or choose not to formalise their report into a complaint, the reporting tool will enable the Commission to gather valuable information about the profession and monitor areas of concern, including law practices or practitioners, and where possible take other regulatory action. Disciplinary options may be limited if a reporter wishes to remain anonymous and no other witnesses are identified. However, the process will still aim to support the reporter and look to other ways of addressing inappropriate behaviours in the legal profession in Queensland.
This initiative is aimed at reducing the barriers to reporting of sexual harassment, particularly within the legal profession, and to encourage people to come forward and share their experiences so that action can be taken to stamp out this behaviour.
Legal Services Commissioner, Megan Mahon is adamant that sexual harassment in any form is unacceptable within the legal profession and workplaces more broadly. “As Legal Services Commissioner, I am committed to the fight against sexual harassment and maintaining the high standards of conduct expected of members of the legal profession. Sexual harassment is not only illegal, but for members of the legal profession it is conduct that can be investigated by the Commission and that is capable of constituting professional misconduct. All those who interact with the legal profession, whether clients or those working within it, should feel that it is a safe and respectful environment.”
The anonymous reporting tool can be accessed through the Legal Services Commission’s website or this link. All other enquiries can be directed to the Commission through the online enquiry form or by phoning 07 3564 7726.
The Legal Services Commission is the independent regulator of the legal profession in Queensland, with responsibility for receiving and, where appropriate, investigating complaints. Where lawyers or other parties have engaged in conduct that breaches their ethical obligations or the law, we will act in line with our regulatory responsibilities and use our powers to address those breaches as appropriate.
