Carr v Council of the Law Society of New South Wales [2020] NSWCA 276

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Carr v Council of the Law Society of New South Wales [2020] NSWCA 276 Hearing dates: 30 June 2020 Date of orders: 4 November 2020 Decision date: 04 November 2020 Before: White JA at [1]; McCallum JA at [43]; Emmett AJA at [44] Decision: Order that: 1. The appeal be allowed. 2. The orders made by the Civil and Administrative Tribunal of New South Wales on 14 January 2020 be set aside. 3. In lieu of the Tribunal's orders, order that the application for disciplinary findings and orders filed on 17 October 2018 be dismissed and that the Law Society of New South Wales pay the Appellant's costs of the proceedings before the Tribunal. 4. The Law Society pay the Appellants' costs of the appeal. Catchwords: PROFESSIONS AND TRADES — Lawyers — Complaints and discipline — Misappropriation of trust monies — Requirements for dishonesty — Irregular deposits of trust monies into office account — Deposits made without solicitor's knowledge — Whether overdraft in office account constitutes misappropriation PROFESSIONS AND TRADES — Lawyers — Complaints and discipline — Attempts to mislead — Requisite element of intention PROFESSIONS AND TRADES — Lawyers — Complaints and discipline — Unconditional undertakings — Whether undertaking breached where performance would be unlawful Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) ss 44, 59 Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW) ss 243, 255 Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) s 297 New South Wales Professional Conduct and Practice Rules 2013 (NSW) Cases Cited: Brady v Stapleton (1952) 88 CLR 322 Brereton v Legal Services Commissioner [2010] VSC 378 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336; [1938] HCA 34 In re Hallett's Estate (1880) 13 Ch D 696 Kyle v Legal Practitioners' Complaints Committee (1999) 21 WAR 56; [1999] WASCA 115 Legal Services Commissioner v Brereton (2011) 33 VR 126; [2011] VSCA 241 Peart v Bushell (1827) 2 Sim 38; 57 ER 705 Peters v The Queen (1998) 192 CLR 493; [1998] HCA 7 Re A Solicitor [1966] 1 WLR 1604; [1966] 3 All ER 52 Re French Caledonia Travel Service Pty Ltd (In Liq) (2003) 59 NSWLR 361; [2003] NSWSC 1008 Re Global Finance Group Pty Ltd (In Liq) (2002) 26 WAR 385; [2002] WASC 63 The Council of the Law Society of NSW v Doherty [2010] NSWCA 177 Udall v Capri Lighting Ltd (In Liquidation) [1988] QB 907 United Mining and Finance Corporation Ltd v Becher [1910] 2 KB 296 Wade v Licardy (1993) 33 NSWLR 1 Westdeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale v Islington London Borough Council [1996] 1 AC 669 Texts Cited: Cordery on Solicitors (5th ed, 1953) Cordery on the Law Relating to Solicitors (7th ed, 1981, Butterworths) Halsbury's Laws of England (4th ed, 1983) Jowett's Dictionary of English Law (4th ed, 2015, Thomson Reuters) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Malcolm Douglas Carr (Appellant) Council of the Law Society of New South Wales (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: K P Hanscombe QC with D Meyerowitz-Katz (Appellant) P A Maddigan with T L Y Wong (Respondent)