Transgender

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.nz/post/19792273

A Wellington law firm is defiant in the face of complaints to police and the Law Society over a letter sent to practitioners of gender affirming care earlier this month.

Franks Ogilvie director Stephen Franks said the letter was sent out to a list of more than 20 practices supplied to his firm by group Inflection Point NZ.

Earlier in the week he told RNZ the letter was "a warning" to practices that they may be held liable for future litigation if they were found to be lax in their processes when offering gender related medical treatment.

"I think it's the sort of letter that the ministry should have circulated to practices in this area. Te Whatu Ora could have written something like that so no - I don't have the slightest concern - we've been ethical," Franks said.

But Wellington lawyer Tess Upperton disagreed.

She filed a complaint to the New Zealand Law Society and would encourage her colleagues to do the same.

Upperton said she had "reasonable grounds" to suspect that the letter contained examples of misconduct and she was obligated to report them.

"If you read the letter you can see that the law is being used as a threat to create an outcome that the lawyer or the client wants.

In the week following the letter being sent out Te Whatu Ora's chief medical officer, Professor Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard wrote to its recipients acknowledging it was "distressing" and "threatening" in tone.

She wrote the letter "appears to be designed to discourage clinicians from providing gender-affirming care".

Practitioners were assured that they would be supported by the agency in the event of any legal action.