Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum at the 24th Attorney-General's conference at Sheraton Fiji Golf and Beach Resort. [Source: Fijian Government/ Facebook]

There is an increase in toxic behaviour between law firms and lawyers says Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.

He highlighted this during the closing of the 24th Attorney-General’s conference at Sheraton Fiji Golf and Beach Resort.

Sayed-Khaiyum says he has seen a lot of toxicity where senior lawyers try to assert their seniority when they are intellectually challenged by junior lawyers.

“I have seen that on the rise and in fact some of you have mentioned to me personally how people try and say well I have been practising for the past 25 years and you have only been practising for ten years and therefore my views will hold weight, no necessarily. In the same way, when we have people applying for jobs it should go to the best person so I think that something as a profession we need to be able to deal with.”

Sayed-Khaiyum adds one cannot just pull out the seniority plug on junior lawyers when they have something worthwhile to contribute.

He says the junior lawyers are not intellectually anything less than anybody else.