Dean: Bullying has no place in legal profession

The Dean with Elish Angiolini, QC, who chaired the event

 

 

THE Faculty has “fully endorsed” a call to end bullying and harassment in Scotland’s legal profession.

In a speech to the 100 Years of Women in Law event in Parliament House, the Lord Advocate, James Wolffe, QC, outlined challenges to the profession on bullying and diversity.

Those were to adopt a zero tolerance approach to bullying in the workplace, and to promote family-friendly flexible working and to achieve a 50-50 gender balance in senior positions in law firms by 2028.

The event was organised by the Scottish Government, and supported by the Faculty and the Law Society of Scotland.

The Faculty already has in place a robust bullying and harassment policy, and, responding to the Lord Advocate’s calls, the Dean, Gordon Jackson, QC, said: “Bullying and harassment have absolutely no place in the profession, and the Faculty fully endorses zero tolerance of it.”

He added: “All Advocates are self-employed and free to make their own preferred working arrangements, but the Faculty tries to do all we can to assist members seeking flexibility in their working life.

“We are conscious of a gender imbalance in our membership and are taking positive steps to encourage as many women as possible to consider a career at the Bar.”

See a Scottish Government news release here