FREE | Read the June 2024 edition of Business Law & Tax

While a polygraph examination alone cannot conclusively determine employee misconduct, it can serve as corroborating evidence, among other factors. But what happens when an employee refuses to undergo a polygraph test?

Where an employee has a contractual obligation to undergo a polygraph test, an outright refusal may, in some instances, affect the employer's ability to trust the employee. Employers should consider reviewing their employment contracts to see if there is scope for including the obligation to undergo polygraph examinations.

In light of the recent concerns highlighted by the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) regarding compliance and integrity lapses among legal practitioners, the imperative for adherence to the FIC Act has never been clearer. This challenge underscores the extensive responsibilities shouldered by legal practitioners and the Legal Practice Council in upholding the profession’s credibility and standards.

The legal profession, like all professions, has a language of its own. On the one hand, this is useful to create the precision required for legal documents. On the other hand, when documents are consumer facing it creates barriers to access to justice. The particular ability of generative AI to summarise and simplify difficult documents is going to be an important tool for improving access to justice by consumers, writes Patrick Bracher.

More on these stories and others, available in this month's Business Law & Tax.

Browse through the full publication below (zoom in or go full screen for ease of reading):

Also listen to our Business Law Focus podcasts, hosted by Evan Pickworth: