Law Society of New South Wales -v- Barwick & Dechnicz [2002] NSWADT 66

CITATION: Law Society of New South Wales -v- Barwick & Dechnicz [2002] NSWADT 66 revised - 06/05/2002 DIVISION: Legal Services Division APPLICANT Council of the Law Society of New South Wales PARTIES: RESPONDENTS Ross Garfield Barwick Roman Alexander Dechnicz FILE NUMBER: 002018; 002019 HEARING DATES: 28, 29, 30, 31/05/2001; 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14/06/2001; 24/07/2001, 27/07/2001 SUBMISSIONS CLOSED: 07/27/2001 DATE OF DECISION: 04/29/2002

BEFORE: Needham CA - (Deputy President); Mattila J - Judicial Member; Mahon D - Member APPLICATION: Professional Misconduct - breach of s. 61 of the Legal Profession Act - Professional Misconduct - mislead Court/Tribunal - Professional Misconduct - mislead Investigator - Professional Misconduct - mislead Law Society/Bar Association/LSC - Professional Misconduct - prefer own interests to those of others MATTER FOR DECISION: Principal matter LEGISLATION CITED : Legal Profession Act 1987 Barwick -v- Law Society of New South Wales (2000) 169 ALR 275, [2000] HCA 3 Re Hodgekiss (1962) 79 WN (NSW) 163 Kennedy -v- The Council of the Incorporated Law Institute of New South Wales (1939-1940) 13 ALJ 563 Incorporated Law Institute of New South Wales -v- Meagher (1909) 9 CLR The Council of New South Wales Law Society -v- Foreman (1994) 34 NSWLR 408 Allinson -v- General Council of Medical Education & Registration [1894] 1 QB 750 Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales -v- Costello [1984] 3 NSWLR 201 CASES CITED: Re Mayes [1974] 1 NSWLR 19 Law Society of New South Wales -v- Foreman (1991) 24 NSWLR 238 Briginshaw -v- Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Ex parte Attorney-General (Commonwealth); Re a Barrister and Solicitor (1972) 20 FLR 234 New South Wales Bar Association -v- Livesey [1982] 2 NSWLR 321 O'Reilly -v- Law Society of New South Wales (1988) 24 NSWLR 204 Smith -v- Bar Association of New South Wales (1992) 176 CLR 256 Ex parte Tziniolis; re the Medical Practitioners Act (1966) 67 SR (NSW) 448 APPLICANT G Lindsay SC, barrister REPRESENTATION: RESPONDENTS R C P Allaway QC with L McCallum, barristers D Cassidy QC, barrister ORDERS: 1. In proceedings 002018, the name of Ross Garfield Barwick be removed from the Roll of Legal Practitioners; 2. Mr Barwick to pay the Law Society's costs of those proceedings; 3. In proceedings 002019, the name of Roman Alexander Dechnicz be removed from the Roll of Legal Practitioners; 4. Mr Dechnicz to pay the Law Society's costs of those proceedings.