IBA’s Landmark Report Us Too? On Bullying And Sexual Harassment In The Legal Profession To Be Launched At NBA-AGC, As NBA President, Usoro, Welcomes IBA President Horacio Bernardes Neto

President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Paul Usoro, SAN, has said that he is delighted that IBA President Horacio Bernardes Neto, is going to participate at the NBA Annual General Conference. The NBA President made this statement whilst welcoming the IBA President.

According to him, the IBA President has stated that Africa is to be a priority of his two-year tenure with the aim of increasing the presence of the IBA in Africa and of Africa in the IBA, and that he is looking forward to mutual co-operation on his initiatives that will bring enduring change to the legal profession, including addressing the insidious issues of bullying and sexual harassment. He also stated that this visit will build on and strengthen the existing relationship between the two organizations.’

On his part, Mr. Horacio Bernardes Neto said that he is deeply honoured to have been invited by Paul Usoro, SAN, to attend the prestigious gathering, and that he is very much looking forward to greeting longstanding friends of the IBA, as well as meeting anew many of Nigeria’s fine jurists on this trip.

The IBA president is not just invited to the Conference, he is expected to give an address at the opening ceremony of the 59th Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference (AGC) on Monday 26^th August 2019, after which he will launch the IBA’s landmark Report Us Too? on Bullying and Sexual Harassment in the Legal Profession and as well discuss the issues the report raises.

Speaking on the report, he said: “It is deeply shameful that our profession, predicated on the highest ethical standards, is rife with such negative workplace behaviours. Bar associations, law societies and law firms must lead by example and expose unacceptable behaviour. The IBA is working to ensure that eradicating bullying and sexual harassment is prioritized. We must work for positive change.”

The said 130-page landmark report draws on data collected from nearly 7,000 surveyed legal professionals from 135 countries, conducted by the IBA’s Legal Policy & Research Unit (LPRU) in collaboration with consultancy firm Acritas. Records have it that Respondents participated from workplaces across the legal spectrum, including law firms, in-house, barristers’ chambers, government and the judiciary. The results provide insight into the nature, prevalence and impact of bullying and sexual harassment across the sector.

Findings from the survey also show that one in two women and one in three men have experienced bullying in the workplace; one in three women and one in 14 men have been sexually harassed; in 57 per cent of bullying cases, incidents were not reported, with the figure rising to 75 per cent for episodes of sexual harassment; there is considerable adverse impact, with 65 per cent of bullied practitioners having left or considered leaving their workplace as a result; workplaces are not doing enough to prevent or adequately respond to misconduct, with policies regarding bullying and sexual harassment present in only 53 per cent of workplaces; and just one in five workplaces have conducted training in recognizing and reporting problems in these areas.

Kieran Pender who is the IBA LPRU Legal Advisor, and who also led the project, said that their research found that targets of bullying and sexual harassment very rarely report the misconduct to their workplaces or regulators.

“They don’t report because of the status of the perpetrator, fear of repercussions and because the incidents are often endemic to the workplace. These issues affect all parts of the profession, from entry-level trainees to attorneys-general. We must take responsibility and develop standards of conduct to make it clear that this behaviour has no place in our profession,” he said.

Mark Ellis, IBA Executive Director, on the other hand said: “These types of behaviour are insidious and must be confronted. The legal profession has been called upon regularly to advise other industries on bullying and sexual harassment. However, our ability to drive broader change is undermined if our own house is not in order. The IBA will promote cross-sector collaboration to ensure these societal-wide issues are addressed.”

The London launch event of Us Too? Bullying and Sexual Harassment in the Legal Profession was held at law firm Herbert Smith Freehills LLP in London, England, on the 15^th day of May 2019. The project was said to have been developed in collaboration with an IBA working group, consisting of 16 IBA members from across the globe representing all IBA Regional Fora and relevant committees. Personalities such as Emerita Professor Margaret Thornton, Emerita Professor Patricia Easteal AM and Kate Eastman SC acted as independent experts, reviewing a draft of the report.

Giving her closing remarks, Baroness Helena Kennedy, QC, Director of the IBA’s Human Rights Institute, said: “Lawyers and other legal professionals must be able to work in environments that are safe and supportive. Bullying and sexual harassment is never appropriate, and the profession must do all it can to stamp out such misconduct.”

No doubt, the IBA global campaign has gone to many countries with Nigeria as the latest stop.  According to reports made available to TheNigerialawyer (TNL), the campaign will take place across six continents. So far, major international cities in Europe, The Americas and Australia have held well-received launch events. Next month, the report will be launched in Asia, in South Korea’s capital city, Seoul, during the 2019 IBA Annual Conference.