Key highlights of the survey:
- Bullying and sexual harassment are very common in the legal profession. A third of the female respondents and one in 14 men said they had experienced sexual harassment in a work-related context.
- Sexist and sexually suggestive comments were the most common forms of harassment, while 22 % of sexually harassed respondents had been subject to physical approaches.
- The US, Canada, Australia, South Africa and Nigeria were the worst countries for sexual harassment, with between 24 and 35 % of respondents saying they had experienced work-related problems. Cultural norms could influence the results, making respondents from countries with a greater awareness more likely to report incidents.
- 75% of who reported abuse in the survey did not file a complaint.
- Workplace training is having little or no effect on tackling the issues.
- The scale of sexual harassment in the legal sector has become clear in recent months, with cases coming to light in countries including the UK, US, India, New Zealand and South Korea.
- Recently, an in-house committee constituted by Supreme Court of India cleared Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment charges levelled against him.
