de Robillard v Council of the New South Wales Bar Association; Council of the New South Wales Bar Association v de Robillard (No 2) [2024] NSWCA 299

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: de Robillard v Council of the New South Wales Bar Association; Council of the New South Wales Bar Association v de Robillard (No 2) [2024] NSWCA 299 Hearing dates: 9, 10, 11 September 2024 Date of orders: 13 December 2024 Decision date: 13 December 2024 Before: Gleeson JA at [1] Leeming JA at [266] Griffiths AJA at [292] Decision: Appeal (2023/208817) (1) Refuse the extension of time to challenge the costs order made by the Registrar on 21 September 2023. (2) Dismiss pars [1] and [3] of the applicant's notice of motion filed 27 February 2024 challenging the costs order made by the Registrar on 21 September 2023. (3) Set aside order 2 made by the Registrar on 29 January 2024 and the further order made by the Registrar on 6 February 2024 confirming the dismissal of the appeal. (4) Appeal allowed in part with respect to the finding of unsatisfactory professional conduct the subject of ground 2 of the application in the Tribunal, and otherwise the appeal is dismissed. (5) Vary order 1 made by the Tribunal on 10 December 2021 by deleting the words "unsatisfactory professional conduct and", and in lieu thereof ground 2 of the application be dismissed. (6) The appellant to pay the respondent's costs of the appeal, (a) excluding the costs relating to the appeal against the Tribunal's finding on ground 2 of unsatisfactory professional conduct, in respect of which each party is to pay his or their own costs, and (b) including the costs of pars [1] and [3] the motion filed 27 February 2024 relating to the challenge to the costs order made by the Registrar on 21 September 2023. Otherwise make no order as to costs with respect to the relief sought in pars [1] and [4] of the motion. Summons (2023/293223) (1) Declare that the respondent, Christian Roger de Robillard, is not a fit and proper person to be on the roll of legal practitioners of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. (2) Order that the name of the respondent, Christian Roger de Robillard, be removed from the roll of legal practitioners of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. (3) Respondent to pay the costs of the applicant of and incidental to these proceedings. Catchwords: ASSOCIATIONS AND CLUBS — Council of the NSW Bar Association — Whether Bar Council has standing to institute and prosecute disciplinary proceedings in Tribunal and Supreme Court — Where Bar Council is not a separate legal entity to NSW Bar Association ADMINISTRATIVE LAW — NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal — Occupational Division — Disciplinary decisions — Whether Tribunal erred in finding professional misconduct and unsatisfactory professional conduct — Whether Tribunal erred in recommending barrister be removed from the roll — Where practitioner instituted and maintained proceedings against another practitioner without reasonable justification on material available — Where deemed judgment upon lodgment of costs certificate in Supreme Court not paid by practitioner — Whether denial of procedural fairness — Whether apprehension of bias — Whether delegation of complaint by NSW Commissioner to Bar Council valid — Whether application for disciplinary findings and orders valid OCCUPATIONS — Legal practitioners — Disciplinary proceedings — Barristers — Application for removal from roll of barristers — Where unsuccessful appeal from Tribunal decisions finding professional misconduct and recommending removal from the roll — Where prior adverse findings against practitioner — Where lack of insight and absence of contrition for breach of Barristers Rules — Where practitioner not held practising certificate for over 6 years — Whether practitioner fit to practise — Whether removal from roll warranted in all the circumstances Legislation Cited: Bankruptcy Act 1966 (Cth), s 43 Barristers Conduct Rules 2011 (Qld), r 12 Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 (NSW), Sch 5, cll 18, 21(1)(c) Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), ss 79, 181, 1317E Federal Court Rules 1979 (Cth), rr 2, 9.41 Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth), r 9.41 Justice Legislation Amendment Act (No 2) 2019 (NSW) Legal Profession Act 1987 (NSW), s 51 Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW), ss 252, 311, 696 Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW), ss 22, 23, 70, 264, 282, 297, 298, 299, 300, 301, 302, 371, 406, Ch 3, Sch 9 Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014 (NSW), ss 3, 11, 28, 35, 53, 70, 137, 260, 301 Legal Profession Uniform Conduct (Barristers) Rules 2015 (NSW), rr 3, 4, 8, 9, 24B, 60, 61, 64, 65, 298 Legal Profession Uniform General Rules 2015 (NSW), rr 13, 101 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), ss 48(2)(k), 75A, 121 Supreme Court Rules 1970 (NSW), r 65A.2 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 7.20, 12.7, 36.16, 42.1, 42.7, 49.19, 49.20, 51.18 Cases Cited: Charisteas v Charisteas (2021) 273 CLR 289; [2021] HCA 29 Clyne v New South Wales Bar Association (1960) 104 CLR 186; [1960] HCA 40 CNY17 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection and Another (2019) 268 CLR 76; [2019] HCA 50 Concrete Pty Ltd v Parramatta Design & Developments Pty Ltd (2006) 229 CLR 577; [2006] HCA 55 Council of the Law Society of New South Wales v Clifton [2021] NSWCA 340 Council of the Law Society of New South Wales v Green [2022] NSWCA 257 Council of the Law Society of New South Wales v Leslie [2021] NSWCA 59 Council of the Law Society of New South Wales v Yoon [2020] NSWCA 141 Council of the Law Society of New South Wales v Zhukovska (2020) 102 NSWLR 655; [2020] NSWCA 163 Council of the Law Society of NSW v DXW [2019] NSWCATOD 101 Council of the New South Wales Bar Association v de Robillard (No 2) (Costs) [2023] NSWCATOD 116 Council of the New South Wales Bar Association v Eddy (2006) 151 FCR 34; [2006] FCA 254 Council of the New South Wales Bar Association v EFA (a pseudonym) (2021) 106 NSWLR 373; [2021] NSWCA 339 Dae Boong International Co Pty Ltd v Gray [2009] NSWCA 11 Ebner v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (2000) 205 CLR 337; [2000] HCA 63 Giannarelli v Wraith (1988) 165 CLR 543; [1988] HCA 52 Giorgianni v The Queen (1985) 156 CLR 473; [1985] HCA 29 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Isbester v Knox City Council (2015) 255 CLR 135; [2015] HCA 20 Johnson v Johnson (2000) 201 CLR 337; [2000] HCA 42 Law Society of the Australian Capital Territory v Powrie (2017) 12 ACTLR 18; [2017] ACTSCFC 4 Legal Profession Complaints Committee v Megan Maree In de Braekt [2013] WASC 124 Legal Services Commissioner v Merkin [2019] QCAT 272 Legal Services Commissioner v Rushford (2012) 38 VR 141; [2012] VSC 632 Michael Wilson & Partners Ltd v Nicholls (2011) 244 CLR 427; [2011] HCA 48 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZVFW (2018) 264 CLR 541; [2018] HCA 30 New South Wales Bar Association v de Robillard [2004] NSWADT 45 New South Wales Bar Association v Evatt (1968) 117 CLR 177; [1968] HCA 20 NSW Bar Association v Cummins (2001) 52 NSWLR 279; [2001] NSWCA 284 O'Brien v Dawson (1942) 66 CLR 18; [1942] HCA 8 Re JRL; Ex parte CJL (1986) 161 CLR 342; [1986] HCA 39 Royal Guardian Mortgage Management Pty Ltd v Nguyen [2016] NSWCA 88; (2016) 332 ALR 128 R v Birks (1990) 19 NSWLR 677 Sadler v Whiteman [2010] 1 KB 868 Smits v Roach (2006) 227 CLR 423; [2006] HCA 36 Stanoevski v The Council of the Law Society of New South Wales [2008] NSWCA 93 The Connaught Income Fund, Series I (in liquidation) v Capita Financial Managers Ltd [2014] EWHC 3619 (Comm) The Law Society of New South Wales v Foreman (1994) 34 NSWLR 408 Tomko v Palasty (No 2) (2007) 71 NSWLR 61; [2007] NSWCA 369 Vakauta v Kelly (1989) 167 CLR 568; [1989] HCA 44 Webb v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 41; [1994] HCA 30 Wentworth v NSW Bar Association [1991] NSWCA 281 Wentworth v NSW Bar Association (1992) 176 CLR 239; [1992] HCA 24 Yorke v Lucas (1985) 158 CLR 661; [1985] HCA 65 Ziems v The Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales (1957) 97 CLR 279; [1957] HCA 46 Texts Cited: W N Hohfeld, Some Fundamental Legal Conceptions as Applied in Judicial Reasoning, (1913) 23 Yale Law Journal 16 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Christian Roger de Robillard (Applicant/Respondent) Council of the New South Wales Bar Association (Respondent/Applicant) Representation: Counsel: C R de Robillard (Self-represented) (Applicant/Respondent) K C Morgan SC / A Poukchanski (Respondent/Applicant) Solicitors: Hicksons Lawyers (Respondent/Applicant) File Number(s): 2023/208817; 2023/293223 Decision under appeal Court or tribunal: New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal Jurisdiction: Civil Citation: [2021] NSWCATOD 207; [2023] NSWCATOD 75 Date of Decision: 10 December 2021; 1 June 2023 Before: Le Poer Trench ADCJ, H Dixon SC, L Porter File Number(s): 2020/320791