The president of the Law Society has voiced his support for chief executive David Lavery to continue in his position, following a controversy over a character reference provided for a cousin convicted of serious sexual offenses.
Mark Borland stated that Lavery has his support "to continue as chief executive and to move us forward." He acknowledged that the society "got it wrong" in its handling of the situation and expressed regret. A special general meeting (SGM) of the Law Society has been called after 50 members requested it, signaling a desire for clarity on how the decision to retain Lavery was made.
Lavery himself issued a "sincere apology" to the society, describing his act of providing the character reference for William Lloyd-Lavery as a "serious error in judgment." William Lloyd-Lavery was found guilty of indecently assaulting five girls at a south Belfast school in the 1970s.
This incident follows Lavery's dismissal from his role as a human rights commissioner last week. Borland indicated that the Law Society needs to examine its procedures to prevent similar missteps in the future, emphasizing that the matter concerning Lavery is an employment issue, as he is an employee of the society.