Forbidding nudity and making sure camp leaders are sober are among the changes that will be implemented at the next second-year law camp, the student group behind the camps says.
The Society of Otago University Law Students (SOULS) has organised the camps for more than a decade, but they came under scrutiny earlier this year after allegations of inappropriate behaviour, including jelly wrestling, hit headlines.
A review of camps by Dunedin barrister David Sim was released on Friday, and described students’ behaviour as "drunken" and "sexualised".
SOULS said in a statement it would uphold the changes which had already been scheduled for the cancelled 2018 camp — including doubling the number of leaders, requiring leaders to be sober, and having a "clear expectation that there was to be no nudity at any time". Students who decided not to drink alcohol would have had their decision respected, the statement said.
"These are changes SOULS believes remedies many of the concerns from previous law camps."
It is unknown whether there will be a camp next year, but the overwhelming majority of law students surveyed by the group said they wanted a law camp in 2019, the statement said.
In March, the mother of a former student who stripped and took part in jelly wrestling at one of the law camps said she was disgusted the law faculty seemed to condone the event.
Faculty of Law dean Prof Jessica Palmer, who took over from Prof Mark Henaghan in April, said on Friday the need to build a healthy, inclusive and safe culture was present across the wider legal profession, and she would work with SOULS to ensure future events were "part of a strong and healthy culture".
"The Faculty of Law is acutely aware that, as legal educators, we play a key role in setting appropriate standards for our students as they prepare to enter the profession," she said.
Pro-vice-chancellor for humanities Prof Tony Ballantyne said he was "disappointed" by the findings of the review. However, rather than cancelling the law camps, he and Prof Palmer intended to work with SOULS to help them lead future events.
The statement from SOULS said if a law camp were held next year it would not include the old traditions of previous camps, and would have "a stronger emphasis on the health and wellbeing of students while on the camp, as well as reflect evolving societal expectations".