KOTA KINABALU (Nov 19): The Sabah Law Society (SLS) has launched a policy to handle harassment and sexual harassment in the legal profession.
Chairperson of the SLS Women and Children’s Rights Sub-Committee, Datin Mary Gomez, and SLS President, Roger Chin in a joint statement said that SLS decided in 2021 to proactively work toward ensuring that legal workplaces are free of harassment and sexual harassment.
“The Sabah Law Society completely denounces occurrence of harassment or sexual harassment in the legal workplace,” they said in a statement on Friday.
They also said that no individual, regardless of gender, should have to suffer the indignity of their modesty being insulted or outraged.
“Such behaviour is unacceptable and as a society, and particularly as the upholders of justice, we must ensure that proper values are instilled and supported, and that people must feel safe wherever they are.
“The Sabah Law Society has been working with the Association of Women Lawyers to develop standard operating procedures that law firms in Sabah can put in place, to ensure that the legal workplace is a conducive and safe one for all stakeholders. Further, the Sabah Law Society has also developed its own policies about handing instances of harassment and sexual harassment in the legal profession here, wherein, complaints of harassment and sexual harassment against lawyers in Sabah will be dealt with as misconduct under section 12B of the Advocates Ordinance,” they said.
This is a follow up to the launching of the Sabah Law Society’s and Malaysia’s first Charter for the Advancement of Women in the legal profession as well as for any professions on 18 May 2021, which includes provisions encouraged at establishing fair and transparent sexual discrimination and harassment complaints processes.
“The Sabah Law Society also calls on the Malaysian Government to expedite the tabling of the Sexual Harassment Bill in Parliament, in providing better awareness and protection to the victims of such incidents. Such legislation is crucial and must provide platforms where complainants ae protected from reprisal, and are able to stand up for themselves, and against the alleged perpetrator without the fear of being further harassed or intimidated. All complaints of harassment or sexual harassment to the authorities should be dealt with swiftly and victims should be treated with respect at all times. There should be no further delay in tabling a bill of such public importance,” both said.
They added that the Sabah Law Society also calls for greater awareness about what harassment and sexual harassment are, its impact on survivors and society in general, and recommends the provision of a suitable and robust support systems for those who have experienced emotional and psychological distress as a result of sexual harassment.