A criminal conviction for Golriz Ghahraman could jeopardise her ability to practise law in New Zealand, a retired professor says.
The former Green MP admitted four shoplifting charges, relating to the theft of thousands of dollars' worth of 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 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.
"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 investigate more details "the rest of us, looking from outside, might not see the entire picture", Hodge said.
Ghahraman was charged with stealing $695 worth of clothing from Wellington's Cre8iveworx Store on October 22 and a navy cardigan valued at $389 from Standard Issue in Newmarket on December 22.
She was also charged with two counts of shoplifting from Scotties Boutique in Ponsonby - $5773 of items on December 21 and $2060 worth of goods on December 23.
RNZ
