Sexually Inappropriate
A lawyer or limited licensee must not sexually harass a coworker, employee, client, or anyone else.
See section 6.3-3 of the Law Society of Saskatchewan Code of Professional Conduct for Lawyers or the Law Society of Saskatchewan Code of Professional Conduct for Limited Licensees for more information.
A conflict of interest can happen if a lawyer or limited licensee has a sexual or very close relationship with a client. This kind of relationship may:
- stop the lawyer or limited licensee from giving fair and objective advice
- put the client’s right to privacy at risk
- allow the lawyer or limited licensee to take advantage of the client
See section 3.4-1, commentary [10] of the Law Society of Saskatchewan Code of Professional Conduct for Lawyers or the Law Society of Saskatchewan Code of Professional Conduct for Limited Licensees for more information.
If you believe your lawyer acted in a sexually inappropriate way, submit a complaint.
Common Questions
It is sexual harassment if the lawyer or limited licensee knew or ought to have known that the conduct would be unwelcome. Sexual harassment may occur:
- when such conduct might reasonably be expected to cause insecurity, discomfort, offence, or humiliation to the person who is subjected to the conduct;
- when submission to such conduct is implicitly or explicitly made a condition for the provision of professional services;
- when submission to such conduct is implicitly or explicitly made a condition of employment;
- when submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as a basis for any employment decision, including;
- loss of opportunity;
- the allocation of work;
- promotion or demotion;
- remuneration or loss of remuneration;
- job security; or
- benefits affecting the employee.
- when such conduct has the purpose or the effect of interfering with a person’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment;
- when a position of power is used to import sexual requirements into the workplace and negatively alter the working conditions of employees or colleagues; or
- when a sexual solicitation or advance is made by a lawyer or limited licensee who is in a position to confer any benefit on, or deny any benefit to, the recipient of the solicitation or advance, if the lawyer or limited licensee making the solicitation or advance knows or ought reasonably to know that it is unwelcome.
Examples of behaviour that constitute harassment include, but are not limited to:
- displaying sexualized or other demeaning or derogatory images;
- sexually suggestive or intimidating comments, gestures or threats;
- comments, jokes that cause humiliation, embarrassment or offence, or which by their nature, and in their context, are clearly embarrassing, humiliating or offensive;
- innuendoes, leering or comments about a person’s dress or appearance;
- gender-based insults or sexist remarks;
- communications with sexual overtones;
- inquiries or comments about a person’s sex life;
- sexual flirtations, advances, propositions, invitations or requests;
- unsolicited or unwelcome physical contact or touching;
- sexual violence; or
- unwanted contact or attention, including after the end of a consensual relationship.