Legal Profession

The Hon. C. BONAROS (14:54): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Attorney a question in relation to the legal profession.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: The 2024 Review of Harassment in the South Australian Legal Profession was provided to the Attorney in December 2024 and released publicly on 23 January 2025. The report, which is a response to the 2021 review, includes 16 recommendations in total. At least four of those recommendations recommend amendments to existing legislation, including the Equal Opportunity Act, the Legal Practitioners Act and the Evidence Act. A private member's bill has been introduced earlier this year in this place dealing with some of those recommendations. My questions to the Attorney are:

1. Has the government responded to the Equal Opportunity Commission review and, if not, when does it expect that such a review will be provided to the commission?

2. Has a decision been made as to whether the government intends to adopt any of the legislative amendments and policy recommendations set out in the review?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (14:55): I thank the honourable member for her question and pay tribute to her work in relation to this matter and acknowledge much of what has occurred has been because of her advocacy in this place and outside of it in relation to shining a spotlight on harassment in the legal profession.

I do note that in the recent review there was an anonymous survey that ran in the earlier part of last year with, I believe, some 600 in-scope survey responses and 43 written submissions. It was a very extensive review looking at what had occurred earlier. The honourable member points out that there were a number of recommendations made—I think 14 recommendations in total—some of which relate to suggested amendments to the Legal Practitioners Act, the Work Health and Safety Act and the Judicial Conduct Commissioner Act and the government is currently receiving advice on the suggestions that were put forward.

I do not want to put an absolute timeframe on it, but I can assure the member that we are looking at it, we are receiving advice and if there are things that we think are workable that we can progress we will do that as soon as we practically can.