Council of the Law Society of New South Wales v Zhukovska [2020] NSWCA 163

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Council of the Law Society of New South Wales v Zhukovska [2020] NSWCA 163 Hearing dates: 23 June 2020 Decision date: 04 August 2020 Before: Macfarlan JA at [1]; Leeming JA at [2]; McCallum JA at [158]. Decision: 1. The Law Society file and serve, within 14 days of today, any submissions as to the conditions to which Ms Zhukovska should be subject, and any submissions as to costs. 2. Ms Zhukovska file and serve, within 28 days of today, any submissions as to the conditions to which Ms Zhukovska should be subject, and any submissions as to costs. 3. The Law Society file and serve, within 35 days of today, any submissions in reply. Catchwords: APPEALS - appeal from orders imposed by NCAT cancelling solicitor's practising certificate and preventing issue of a new certificate for 12 months - Law Society appealed seeking order removing solicitor's name from roll - nature of appeal - whether necessary to show House v The King error LEGAL PRACTITIONERS - solicitors - appropriate orders following findings by NCAT of professional misconduct and unsatisfactory professional conduct - whether solicitor's name should be removed from the roll - distinction between suspension of practising certificate, cancellation of practising certificate and removal from roll - significance of recommendations as opposed to conditions - whether NCAT failed to specify appropriate conditions to be satisfied before any new practising certificate issued Legislation Cited: Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 (NSW), Sch 1, cl 21, Sch 5, cll 20, 29 Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW), ss 7, 9 Legal Practitioners Act 1898 (NSW), s 77 Legal Profession Act 1987 (NSW), ss 163, 171C Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW), ss 254, 562 Legal Profession Reform Act 1993 (NSW) Legal Profession Uniform Admission Rules 2015 (NSW), r 14 Legal Profession Uniform General Rules 2015 (NSW), r 13 Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW), ss 6, 45, 78, 302, Sch 4, cl 26 Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014 (NSW), s 4 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), ss 48, 75A Cases Cited: A Solicitor v Council of the Law Society of New South Wales (2004) 216 CLR 253; [2004] HCA 1 Allesch v Maunz (2000) 203 CLR 172; [2000] HCA 40 Attorney-General v Bax [1998] 2 Qd R 9 Betts v The Queen (2016) 258 CLR 420; [2016] HCA 25 Council of the Law Society of New South Wales v Yoon [2020] NSWCA 141 Council of the Law Society of NSW v Zhukovska [2019] NSWCATOD 66 Council of the Law Society of NSW v Zhukovska (No 2) [2019] NSWCATOD 196 Hilton v Legal Professional Admission Board [2017] NSWCA 232 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 In re the Will of F B Gilbert (decd) (1946) 46 SR (NSW) 318 Jadwan Pty Ltd v Rae & Partners (A Firm) [2020] FCAFC 62 Khosa v Legal Profession Complaints Committee [2017] WASCA 192 Law Society of New South Wales v McNamara (1980) 47 NSWLR 72 Mellifont v The Queensland Law Society Incorporated [1981] Qd R 17 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZVFW (2018) 264 CLR 541; [2018] HCA 30 New South Wales Bar Association v Amor-Smith [2003] NSWADT 239 New South Wales Bar Association v Cummins [2001] NSWCA 284 New South Wales Bar Association v Hamman [1999] NSWCA 404; 217 ALR 553 Peko-Wallsend (1986) 162 CLR 24; [1986] HCA 40 Re a Practitioner (1984) 36 SASR 590 Sgro v Thompson [2017] NSWCA 326 Singer v Berghouse (1994) 181 CLR 201; [1994] HCA 40 Stanoevski v The Council of the Law Society of New South Wales [2008] NSWCA 93 Strang v Steiner [2019] NSWCA 143 The Council of the Law Society v Doherty [2010] NSWCA 177 The Queen v Bauer (a pseudonym) [2018] HCA 40; 92 ALJR 846 Veghelyi v The Law Society of New South Wales (unreported, Court of Appeal, 6 October 1995) Warren v Coombes (1979) 142 CLR 531; [1979] HCA 9 Wentworth v New South Wales Bar Association (1992) 176 CLR 239; [1992] HCA 24 Yarrabee Coal Co Pty Ltd v Lujans [2009] NSWCA 85 Ziems v The Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales (1957) 97 CLR 279; [1957] HCA 46 Texts Cited: Dal Pont, G, Lawyers' Professional Responsibility (6th ed, Lawbook Co, 2017) New South Wales Solicitors' Manual, ch 33D Category: Principal judgment Parties: Council of the Law Society of New South Wales (Appellant) Myroslava Zhukovska (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: T Wong SC, S Barnes (Appellant) B Tronson, A Cameron (Respondent)