In Wiener v. Weintraub, 22 NY2d 330, 331 [1968], the Court confirmed that a proceeding before the Grievance Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York constituted a "judicial proceeding" because in the investigation of complaints the Committee acted as a "quasi-judicial body." (Wiener at 332.) The Wiener Court held that the privilege was an absolute defense to the action on the allegedly libelous statements made to the Grievance Committee. Thus the complaint was properly dismissed because the filing of a grievance initiated a judicial proceeding. It was "in the public interest to encourage those who have knowledge of dishonest or unethical conduct on the part of lawyers to impart that knowledge to a Grievance Committee or some other designated body for investigation." (Id. at 332.)