Law Society of New South Wales -v- Paton [2002] NSWADT 282

CITATION: Law Society of New South Wales -v- Paton [2002] NSWADT 282 DIVISION: Legal Services Division APPLICANT PARTIES: Council of the Law Society of New South Wales RESPONDENT Debbie Jane Paton FILE NUMBER: 012031; 022014 HEARING DATES: 11/11/2002 SUBMISSIONS CLOSED: 11/11/2002 DATE OF DECISION: 12/30/2002

BEFORE: Molloy GB - Judicial Member; Mattila J - Judicial Member; Kirkby E - Member APPLICATION: Professional Misconduct - breach of s. 61 of the Legal Profession Act - Professional Misconduct - breach of s. 62 of the Legal Profession Act - Professional Misconduct - misappropriate trust moneys/moneys - Professional Misconduct - mislead client MATTER FOR DECISION: Principal matter LEGISLATION CITED : Legal Profession Act 1987 CASES CITED: Allinson v. General Council of Medical Education and Registration [1894] 1 QB750 APPLICANT REPRESENTATION: P R Boyd, solicitor RESPONDENT In person ORDERS: 1. The name of Debbie Jane Paton be removed from the Roll of legal practitioners; 2. The practitioner pay the costs of the Law Society of and incidental to these proceedings as agreed or as assessed; 3. Costs may be assessed under the Legal Profession Act 1987; 4. Orders 2 and 3 above will be final unless the practitioner applies to this Tribunal for an order vacating Orders 2 and 3 above and files Written Submissions in support of such an application and in support of the Order for costs that she would seek in lieu, such application supported by those Written Submissions both to be filed with the Tribunal within twenty-one (21) days of the date of these Orders; 5. The practitioner is ordered to comply with the Section 152 Notice dated 5 October 2001 and served upon her personally on 16 October 2001, within twenty-one (21) days of the date of these Orders; 6. The practitioner be fined $500.00 for her failure, without reasonable excuse, to comply with the Council of the Law Society of New South Wales requirement under Section 152(1) of the Legal Profession Act, 1987.