8 May 2026

Yesterday, I chaired the first meeting for 2026 of the Respectful Behaviour Committee, attended by the Honourable Kyam Maher MLC, Deputy Premier and Attorney-General.

Just over 12 months ago, the Respectful Behaviour Committee was established, evolving from the Respectful Behaviour Working Group. The Committee’s remit is to drive, develop and champion cultural change across the profession to prevent harassment by addressing its drivers. This includes responding to the findings and recommendations of the Equal Opportunity Commissioner’s 2024 Review of Harassment in the Legal Profession in South Australia.

A consistently respectful culture within the legal profession is important.   It plays a vital role in enhancing the integrity of the justice system and the experience of those who engage in it, and with the legal profession, for the ultimate benefit of the public. Without such a culture, the quality of the profession will erode, including through the inability to attract and retain diverse practitioners, with adverse impact on the profession and those it serves. 

The Committee includes representation from across the legal profession and is the only committee of its kind nationally with such breadth of membership and an explicit remit focused on culture. South Australia has a unique opportunity to provide a clear, consistent message about professional behavioural expectations and to establish a shared cultural norm.

The Committee’s work is being progressed through the Respectful Behaviour Steering Committee which I chair, which has established three subcommittees to drive priority areas of work:

  1. The Training Subcommittee (chaired by the Honourable President Dolphin) is developing a proposal for professional development, including a practical training package with measurable outcomes.
  2. The Guidelines Subcommittee (chaired by the Honourable Justice B Doyle) has delivered the Legal Profession Respectful Behaviour Guidelines, addressing bullying and other unacceptable disrespectful conduct in the courtroom. That Subcommittee has developed further guidelines for conduct outside the courtroom which will be considered by the Steering Committee and then circulated for endorsement by the Committee.
  3. The Complaints Subcommittee (chaired by the Honourable Justice Hughes) has been established to provide advice on best-practice elements of complaints systems, including how to address the evidenced gap between reporting levels and the incidence of unacceptable behaviour.

Student representatives have made an important contribution, challenging the profession to deliver on their appropriately high expectations for safe legal workplaces.

The work of the Committee is only one element of a broader, coordinated effort. Work is also underway within each Court, by professional bodies, within universities, and across legal workplaces. This includes the creation of Courtroom Culture Committees and changes to the Uniform Civil Rules requiring applicants for senior counsel to complete an approved bullying, discrimination and harassment training course.

I acknowledge the dedication of those contributing to these committees and thank them for their work which has already resulted in some practical achievements.  The progress was noted by the Respectful Behaviour Committee together with the observation that sustained ongoing effort is required from all leaders in the profession to embed a consistent cultural norm of respectful, appropriate behaviour. 

 

Released by CAA Media and Communications Officer phone 8204 0403 or 0467 795 291