On 23 March 2019 an allegation was made regarding the conduct of the President-elect of the Law Council of Australia, Mr Konrad de Kerloy, at a function by a fellow director. Mr de Kerloy has consistently denied that allegation.
An independent investigation commissioned by me as the President of the Law Council was unable to determine the allegation and made no adverse findings against either Mr de Kerloy or the director who made the allegation.
The parties subsequently participated in a mediation before the Honourable Catherine Branson AO QC.
Mr de Kerloy voluntarily stood aside during this period to avoid any suggestion that he was in a position to influence any decision in the matter. He resumed his duties on 25 May 2019, following a board meeting of the Law Council that considered the report of the independent investigator and the outcome of the mediation.
Mr de Kerloy has informed me that since resuming his position as President-elect, he has reluctantly concluded that the matter may continue to be an unnecessary distraction from the important work of the Law Council. Accordingly, in the best interests of the Law Council, Mr de Kerloy has today informed me of his decision to resign as President-elect.
I have accepted Mr de Kerloy's resignation and thank Konrad for his tireless work and contribution to the national profession. He has made a significant contribution to the Law Council as a director since 2014 and since his election to office in 2017 as Treasurer and, more recently, as President-elect.
I recognise that in resigning he has demonstrated his commitment to the work of the Law Council. This is consistent with my experience in working closely with Konrad for five years on the Council and I wish him well.
