​The #MeToo Collective is for individuals only

 

You must be an individual person to register with the #MeToo Collective. You may not join or use the services for or on behalf of a company, organisation, government, or other legal entity.

 

The #MeToo Collective is offered only in New Zealand

 

The #MeToo Collective is designed only for people who are New Zealand citizens or permanent residents or are currently residing in New Zealand on a work or tourist visa.

 

Minimum age to join the #MeToo Collective

 

You have to be at least 13 years or older to join.

 

Cost

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All legal services are provided free of charge. 

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The information you provide must be accurate

 

When registering with the #MeToo Collective, you must provide accurate and complete information, including a valid name and contact information that is yours and not someone else’s. Don’t impersonate anyone, act on behalf of anyone, use a false name, or use fake contact information.

 

No fraudulent registration

 

It's an unfortunate reality that certain perpetrators may use fraud and deception to attempt to access information about the people they have sexually harassed or assaulted. There may also be other people who seek to discredit the #MeToo Collective by registering on a fraudulent basis. If I suspect that a person has acted fraudulently, I may deny that person from joining the #MeToo Collective or revoke their membership. This will terminate my lawyer/client relationship with them. If you act fraudulently you agree that I will have no liability to you or any third party for termination of your membership, removal of your information or blocking of your access to the #MeToo Collective. I also reserve the right to take appropriate legal action against you to protect the integrity of the #MeToo Collective.

 

Members retain control of the process

 

Throughout the process, you will remain in control of your choices and options. You will never be obligated to share any of your information with other members or agree to take the same course of action as other members. Our goal is to empower you with information so that you retain agency in deciding if and how you share any of your information with other members and if and how you want to report.

 

Confidentiality

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All information you provide to me will be protected by lawyer/client privilege which means I cannot share it with any other person without your consent. By joining the #MeToo Collective you also agree to keep any information provided by other members confidential.

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Communication

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Communication from me to you will primarily take place via email so that we both have a record of the information you've provided. However, you can contact me via phone or Zoom at any stage if you have questions.

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Online storage of member's information

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The information you provide will be recorded online in ActionStep, a well-known client management platform that is used by lawyers in New Zealand and worldwide. Further information about the security specifications of ActionStep is available here. You can request a copy of the information stored about you on ActionStep at any time.

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Step 1: Read and agree to these terms

 

Please email me at register@metoocollective.com to confirm that you have read and agree to these terms.

 

Step 2: Provide your information

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Please provide the following information to me over email: register@metoocollective.com

 

1. Your full name

2. Your email

3. Your phone number

4. Brief description of the sexual harassment or assault you experienced in one or two sentences.

5. Context of the sexual harassment or assault e.g. in your personal life, workplace, university or other.

6. Geographical location of the sexual harassment or assault e.g. Wellington

7. Approximate timeframe when the sexual harassment or assault occurred e.g. June 2017

8. The perpetrator's full name

9. Links to any of the perpetrator's social media profiles (if these exist) e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and/or any websites which identify them (if these exist) e.g. a profile on their employer's website. 

10. Any other information about the perpetrator that you think could assist with the matching process.​

 

Step 3: Identity verification

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All members must undergo identity verification using identity verification programme APLYiD. Instructions will be sent to you via text and you will be prompted through a straightforward process which involves taking photos of your face and uploading a copy of your ID to APLYiD. Once your identity has been verified using APLYiD and I receive confirmation your personal information is permanently deleted from APLYiD to protect your privacy. More information on how APLYiD works is available here.

 

Step 4: Matching of members

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Each time a new member is added to ActionStep I will run a search to ascertain if there is a match with an existing member or members who have been sexually harassed or assaulted by the same perpetrator. I will then manually check each match to ensure it is correct. If you match with another member or members you will be notified by me via email. At this stage you will be simply be told the number of members you have matched with. Your identity will not be shared with the members you've matched with at this stage.

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Step 5: Preliminary legal advice

 

I will provide you with preliminary legal advice on the information sharing process with other matched members and the available reporting processes provided by (but not limited to) NZ Police, the Human Rights Commission, the Employment Relations Authority, the Ministry of Business, Employment and Innovation, universities and industry specific professional and regulatory bodies.

 

Step 6: Connect

 

I will provide you with legal advice on the process of sharing your information with other matched members and any implications this may have for you. You can choose to share as little or as much information as they like. I will manage the sharing of information between matched members over email and where appropriate, facilitated online or in person meetings will be arranged.  You will also decide whether they want to proceed with reporting and which reporting process to use. You are under no legal obligation to report via any process once you have been matched with other members.

 

Step 7: Obtain legal representation

 

Each group of matched members will be assigned a lawyer who will represent them through their reporting process of choice. This lawyer will provide specific advice on your case including potential outcomes.

 

Step 8: Take action

 

Each group of matched members proceeds through their reporting process of choice.​

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Members who do not match with other members

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If you do not match with another member(s) after 2 years in the #MeToo Collective you are welcome to remain a member in case you do eventually match with a member. Alternatively you can request preliminary legal advice on your reporting options as an individual.  

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Withdrawal from the #MeToo Collective

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You can withdraw from the #MeToo Collective at any stage and request that all information held about you be deleted from ActionStep. 

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Closure of the #MeToo Collective

 

The #MeToo Collective is a charity reliant on grants and donations to operate effectively. In the unfortunate event that there is insufficient funding to operate the #MeToo Collective, the trustees of the #MeToo Collective reserve the right to close the charity. All members will be notified via email and will be referred to other lawyers if requested.

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Complaints

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Members who wish to make a complaint are encouraged do so with me directly in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the outcome you are able to make a complaint to the NZ Law Society.

Website: 

Email: 

Phone 0800 261 801

 

Professional indemnity insurance

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I hold professional indemnity insurance that meets the minimum standard required by the NZ Law Society. All lawyers are encouraged to hold professional indemnity insurance in the event a complaint is made about them by a client or by any other person. 

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Changes to these terms

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I reserve the right to make changes to these terms at any time to enhance the operation of the #MeToo Collective. All members will be notified of any changes via email.