An error-ridden hit job – by Tristam Price

A couple of people who have proceedings in the employment jurisdiction have been represented by Caroline Sawyer, who has now lived in Europe for two years. Caroline did not renew her Practicing Certificate with the New Zealand Law Society (NZLS) when it expired in mid-2021, and resigned from the New Zealand Bar soon after by way of an email to then NZLS President Tiana Epati. She continues to represent at least two remaining clients as an employment advocate.

I’ve learned a lot from Caroline and would badger her to send articles for the Leighton Associates blogsite, but I know she’s simply too busy.

Some defamatory comments were made about Caroline this week in an Open Justice article, and there are too many errors in that article to list here.

However, NZLS have no business commenting on an employment advocate who left the country two years ago, let alone imposing a penalty for a hypothetical finding of misconduct, even if s 241 of the LCA2006 theoretically allows it. As acting leader of Leighton Associates I confirm that neither Open Justice nor NZLS reached out to us to fact check.