Barrister penalised for ‘sexual touching’ of solicitor

According to the NSW Register of Disciplinary Action, Darams grabbed the woman’s backside while she was on the dancefloor.

The conduct occurred at a hotel in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

He was ordered to issue an apology to the woman and her employer.

In a seperate incident, but on the same night, Darams then engaged in unwanted touching by running his hand along a woman’s body “from the top of her back to down past her backside, while they were both standing”.

Shortly afterwards, the barrister ran his hand from this woman's thigh to her knee while they and some colleagues were gathered around a table.

Darams repeated this movement twice more despite the woman moving her leg and pushing away his hand.

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The behaviour was considered unsatisfactory professional conduct.

The Council of the NSW Bar Association ordered Darams issue a written apology to the woman and her employer, in addition to a $10,000 fine and reprimand.

For both incidents, Darams was also ordered to undertake a minimum of 10 hours of counselling at his own expense, with a focus on sexual harassment, respect for women, and the excessive consumption of alcohol.

According to Greenway Chambers, Darams specialises in employment law and industrial relations.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Darams was a solicitor and senior associate with Clayton Utz’s workplace relations team and then a senior associate in Eakin McCaffery Cox’s workplace relations and commercial litigation department.