On 3 July 2021, the Bar Council endorsed the creation of a national Peer Support Network (“PSN”) for survivors of sexual harassment in the legal profession, and on 11 Dec 2021, the Bar Council approved Ruling 14.29 under Chapter 14 of the Bar Council Rules and Rulings.
Subsequently, Ruling 14.29 was amended on 9 July 2026 to cover general harassment and workplace bullying, which now states as follows:
14.29 Sexual harassment, harassment and workplace bullying constitutes misconduct under section 94(3) of the Act
(1) Any act of sexual harassment, harassment or bullying by an Advocate and Solicitor or a pupil in a professional capacity or in a professional setting amounts to misconduct.
(2) Sexual harassment means any unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, whether verbal, non-verbal, visual, gestural or physical, made directly or indirectly at a person or physically communicated in person or through the use of any medium or physical conduct, which a reasonable person would consider to be offensive or humiliating or a threat to their well-being or comfort.
(3) Harassment means any unwanted conduct, whether verbal, non-verbal, visual, gestural or physical, made directly or indirectly at a person or physically communicated in person or through the use of any medium or physical conduct, which a reasonable person would consider to be offensive or humiliating or a threat to their well-being or comfort.
(4) Bullying means any wilful act and directed at a victim by any means, whether committed repeatedly or in a single severe incident, which causes physical, psychological or social harm to the victim. Bullying may include the following acts:
(a) any act that cause physical harm to a victim or his belongings;
(b) any use of language which abuses, threatens or demeans the victim, which causes harm to a victim’s psychological wellbeing;
(c) any act which is intended to socially isolate a victim, damage the reputation of a victim or to create a hostile environment for the victim;
(d) any act that humiliates or discriminates a victim on the basis of sex, race, religion or disability; or
(e) any act referred to in paragraphs (b), (c) or (d) above that is committed through electronic or digital communication.
Based on this Ruling, any act that constitutes sexual harassment, harassment and workplace bullying by an advocate and solicitor or a pupil in chambers in a professional capacity or in a professional setting, would be construed as an offence under section 94(3) of the Legal Profession Act 1976.
PSN was officially launched on 15 Dec 2021, and since then, the Bar Council has trained lawyers to volunteer as case handlers to assist Members of the Bar and pupils in chambers who are current or past victims and survivors of sexual harassment, harassment and workplace bullying, to assist them on their journey to determine what course of action they would like to take, moving forward.
The objective of PSN is to provide administrative guidance and support to each survivor on a confidential basis.
If you are a Member of the Bar or a pupil in chambers who has been harassed or bullied in the course of your employment in the legal profession, please complete and submit this Feedback Form, and we will begin the journey with you.
All information provided by you will be treated as confidential.
Please use your personal email address and not your employment email address when submitting this Feedback Form.
Click here to view the form.
Pada 3 Julai 2021, Majlis Peguam telah menyokong pembentukan suatu rangkaian sokongan pada peringkat kebangsaan yang dinamakan “Peer Support Network” (“PSN”), untuk penakat (survivor) amang seksual dalam profesion undang-undang, dan pada 11 Dis 2021, Majlis Peguam telah meluluskan Peraturan 14.29 (Ruling 14.29) di bawah Bab 14 Kaedah dan Peraturan Majlis Peguam (Bar Council Rules and Rulings).
Susulan daripada ini, Ruling 14.29 telah dipinda untuk merangkumi gangguan umum dan pembulian di tempat kerja, seperti yang dinyatakan berikut:
14.29 Sexual harassment, harassment and workplace bullying constitutes misconduct under section 94(3) of the Act
(1) Any act of sexual harassment, harassment or bullying by an Advocate and Solicitor or a pupil in a professional capacity or in a professional setting amounts to misconduct.
(2) Sexual harassment means any unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, whether verbal, non-verbal, visual, gestural or physical, made directly or indirectly at a person or physically communicated in person or through the use of any medium or physical conduct, which a reasonable person would consider to be offensive or humiliating or a threat to their well-being or comfort.
(3) Harassment means any unwanted conduct, whether verbal, non-verbal, visual, gestural or physical, made directly or indirectly at a person or physically communicated in person or through the use of any medium or physical conduct, which a reasonable person would consider to be offensive or humiliating or a threat to their well-being or comfort.
(4) Bullying means any wilful act and directed at a victim by any means, whether committed repeatedly or in a single severe incident, which causes physical, psychological or social harm to the victim. Bullying may include the following acts:
(a) any act that cause physical harm to a victim or his belongings;
(b) any use of language which abuses, threatens or demeans the victim, which causes harm to a victim’s psychological wellbeing;
(c) any act which is intended to socially isolate a victim, damage the reputation of a victim or to create a hostile environment for the victim;
(d) any act that humiliates or discriminates a victim on the basis of sex, race, religion or disability; or
(e) any act referred to in paragraphs (b), (c) or (d) above that is committed through electronic or digital communication.
Berdasarkan Peraturan ini, sebarang tindakan amang seksual, gangguan umum dan pembulian di tempat kerja oleh seorang peguam bela dan peguam cara ataupun pelatih dalam kamar dalam kapasiti profesional ataupun dalam persekitaran profesional, akan ditafsirkan sebagai salah laku di bawah seksyen 94(3) Akta Profesion Undang-Undang 1976.
PSN telah dilancarkan secara rasmi pada 15 Dis 2021, dan sejak pelancarannya, Majlis Peguam telah melatih para sukarelawan dalam kalangan peguam sebagai pengendali kes untuk memberi bantuan kepada Ahli Badan Peguam Malaysia atau pelatih dalam kamar yang pernah atau sedang mengalami amang seksual, gangguan umum dan pembulian di tempat kerja, bagi mengenal pasti tindakan yang wajar diambil untuk melangkah ke hadapan.Objektif PSN adalah untuk memberi bimbingan pentadbiran (administrative guidance) dan sokongan kepada setiap penakat secara sulit.
Jika anda ialah seorang Ahli Badan Peguam Malaysia atau pelatih dalam kamar yang pernah atau sedang mengalami amang seksual, gangguan umum atau pembulian di tempat kerja, sila lengkapkan dan hantar Borang Maklum Balas ini. Kami sedia menyokong anda dalam setiap langkah perjalanan ini.
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