RICHARD MITRY v COUNCIL OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES BAR ASSOCIATION [2001] NSWCA 273

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : RICHARD MITRY v COUNCIL OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES BAR ASSOCIATION [2001] NSWCA 273 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40585/00 HEARING DATE(S) : 12 July 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 28 August 2001

PARTIES : Richard Mitry (Appellant) Council of the New South Wales Bar Association (Respondent) JUDGMENT OF : Spigelman CJ at 1; Powell JA at 170; Giles JA at 178

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Administrative Decisions Tribunal LOWER COURT 9/00 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT K P O'Connor J, J Blackman and L Bubniuk (Appeal Panel, Administrative Decisions Tribunal) JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : W Hodgekiss (Appellant) P Garling SC (Respondent) SOLICITORS : Appellant in person Hickson Wisewoulds (Respondent) CATCHWORDS : LEGAL PRACTITIONERS - Disciplinary proceedings - whether error of law made by tribunal - where finding of professional misconduct and order that barrister's name be removed from the roll - whether reasonable apprehension of bias on part of member of tribunal - whether amendment of information outlining complaint deprived tribunal of jurisdiction - where information required acceptance by Legal Services Commissioner - Legal Profession Act 1987, ss138(2), 167A. Administrative Decisions Tribunal Act 1997 LEGISLATION CITED : Companies (NSW) Code 1981 Legal Profession Act 1987 Barwick v Law Society of New South Wales [2000] HCA 2; 74 ALJR 419 In Re Davis (1947) 75 CLR 409 CASES CITED: Ebner v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy [2000] HCA 63; 75 ALJR 227 New South Wales Bar Association v Hamman [1999] NSWCA 404 Yorke v Lucas (1985) 158 CLR 661 Ziems v Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales (1957) 97 CLR 279 DECISION : 1. Appeal allowed; 2. Orders of the Tribunal vacated; 3. The name of Richard Mitry be reinstated on the Roll of Legal Practitioners; 4. Proceedings remitted to Tribunal to be determined in accordance with law; 5. Order the Respondent to pay the Appellant's costs.