Former MP Golriz Ghahraman pleaded guilty to shoplifting charges this week. Photo: RNZ/Marika Khabazi
A criminal conviction for Golriz Ghahraman could jeopardise her ability to practise law in New Zealand, a retired law professor says.
The former Green MP admitted four shoplifting charges, relating to the theft of thousands of dollars' worth clothing, when she appeared in the Auckland District Court on Wednesday.
Former law professor Bill Hodge told Morning Report Ghahraman was not currently practising law.
But if she were looking to renew her practising certificate, the Law Society would likely be concerned if she was convicted, he said.
"I don't wish to speak for them [Law Society], but her ability to appear in court in New Zealand after such a conviction, will, I think be prejudiced."
Hodge said Ghahraman's defence lawyers would be seeking a discharge without conviction.
"She'll be seeking a discharge without conviction" - Former law professor Bill Hodge
"I think the obvious goal for counsel ... She's already signalled this, that the sentence she'll be seeking will be a discharge without conviction and that is deemed to be an acquittal.
"So she'll walk away with a clean sheet. That would be the best possible outcome for Golriz and her counsel."
Hodge said it would be a difficult task for the judge.
"Obviously, counsel is going to emphasise the big, big matter of mitigation. She's pleaded guilty. That's a great step forward. Is she suffering remorse? Obviously. Did she deny it and blame it on someone else? No. She's owned up to it. So that's all to her benefit."
He said the defence counsel would likely say she had "already been punished and that a conviction would be disproportionate to the level of offending".
The judge would look into more details that "the rest of us, looking from outside, might not see the entire picture," Hodge said.
The 43-year-old former politician was charged with stealing $695 worth of clothing from Wellington's Cre8iveworx Store on 22 October and a navy cardigan valued at $389 from Standard Issue in Newmarket on 22 December.
She was also charged with two counts of shoplifting from Scotties Boutique in Ponsonby - $5773 of items on 21 December and $2060 worth of goods on 23 December.