Peter Stanley Knudsen [1998] NSWLST 3

The Legal Services Tribunal of New South Wales

CITATION : Peter Stanley Knudsen [1998] NSWLST 3 PARTIES : Peter Stanley Knudsen FILE NUMBER(S) : of 1997 CORAM: Mr F Riley (President) - Mr J. Brennan - Mr J. O'Neill CATCHWORDS: :- Professional Misconduct - Solicitor purported to administer oath to deponent of an affidavit when deponent was not in the presence of solicitor LEGISLATION CITED: Legal Profession Act 1987 CASES CITED: DATES OF HEARING: 18 August 1998 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 08/18/1998 LEGAL REPRESENTATIVES: Mr D Barton Mr D Hipsley

JUDGMENT: President The Tribunal gave leave to the informant to amend the information which was filed on 3 June 1998 to the effect that the allegations of professional misconduct as now presented in the information are that the solicitor purported to administer an oath to the deponent of an affidavit dated 11 March 1994, signed by his client, Ross Charles Stoodley, when the deponent was not then in the presence of the solicitor, and also that the solicitor purported to administer an oath to the deponent of an affidavit dated 26 March 1992 signed by the same client, Ross Charles Stoodley, when that deponent was not in the presence of the solicitor. The reply filed on behalf of the solicitor has admitted the allegations as I have just expressed them and has admitted the particulars set out in the amended information save for two of those particulars and they are 1(e) and 2(e). They relate to instructions allegedly given by the solicitor to his secretary, Leanne Stoodley, who is the daughter of the deponent of the affidavits, Ross Charles Stoodley, on the occasions when the affidavits had been prepared for his signature.