  Results from a search for supersymmetry in events with four or more leptons
including electrons, muons and taus are presented. The analysis uses a data
sample corresponding to 20.3 $fb^{-1}$ of proton--proton collisions delivered
by the Large Hadron Collider at $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS
detector. Signal regions are designed to target supersymmetric scenarios that
can be either enriched in or depleted of events involving the production of a
$Z$ boson. No significant deviations are observed in data from Standard Model
predictions and results are used to set upper limits on the event yields from
processes beyond the Standard Model. Exclusion limits at the 95% confidence
level on the masses of relevant supersymmetric particles are obtained. In
R-parity-violating simplified models with decays of the lightest supersymmetric
particle to electrons and muons, limits of 1350 GeV and 750 GeV are placed on
gluino and chargino masses, respectively. In R-parity-conserving simplified
models with heavy neutralinos decaying to a massless lightest supersymmetric
particle, heavy neutralino masses up to 620 GeV are excluded. Limits are also
placed on other supersymmetric scenarios.
