Barwick v Council of the Law Society of New South Wales [2004] NSWCA 32

Reported Decision : (2004) Aust Torts Reports 81-730

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Barwick v Council of the Law Society of New South Wales [2004] NSWCA 32 revised - 15/03/2004 HEARING DATE(S) : 06/02/04 JUDGMENT DATE : 12 March 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Ipp JA at 1; Tobias JA at 123; Stein AJA at 124 DECISION : Appeal dismissed with costs.

CATCHWORDS : LEGAL PRACTITIONERS - Professional misconduct - Neglect, delay and incompetence in the administration of an estate - Misuse of trust account - Creation of contributory mortgage on title of property of the practitioner's sister as a device to obtain moneys - Money borrowed from clients of the firm of solicitors of which the practitioner was a partner - Misleading conduct towards beneficiary of the estate - Falsified documents placed on file - Misleading statements to the Law Society - Importance of trust moneys - Importance of integrity and candour in giving evidence - Use to be made of practitioner's credibility when testifying in disciplinary proceedings - Findings going outside the charge of misconduct - Importance of trust and confidence which clients place in their solicitors - Mitigating factors not sufficient to allow the practitioner to remain on the Roll - ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - Denial of natural justice by the Tribunal - Where the Tribunal made a finding adverse to the practitioner despite a concession made by the Law Society - Whether failure to give adequate reasons - Whether findings of Tribunal regarding credibility may be taken into account in determining the final order to be made - Findings going outside the charge of misconduct - Whether procedural unfairness means that decisions of the Tribunal and Appeal Panel should be set aside. D Administrative Decisions Tribunal Act 1997, ss 7, 89(5), 112, 113(1), 113(2)(a), 113(2)(b), 114(1) & (2), 119(1), 120(1) & (2) LEGISLATION CITED : Legal Profession Act 1987, ss 61(1)(b), 62,167(2), Pt 10 Div 7 Legal Profession Regulation 1987, cl 27(2) Legal Profession (Trust Accounts and Controlled Money) Regulation 1988, cl 32(1), cl 33 A Solicitor v The Law Society of New South Wales [2004] 204 ALR 8 Bannister v Walton (1993) 30 NSWLR 699 Coe v New South Wales Bar Association [2000] NSWCA 13 Dupal v Law Society of New South Wales (unreported, NSWCA, 26 April 1990) In re a Practitioner (1982) 30 SASR 27 Johns v Law Society of New South Wales (1982) 2 NSWLR 1 CASES CITED : Law Society of New South Wales v Bannister (1993) 4 LPDR 24 Law Society of New South Wales v Foreman (1994) 34 NSWLR 408 McBride v Walton (unreported, NSWCA, 15 July 1994) O'Reilly v Law Society of New South Wales (1988) 24 NSWLR 204 Pantorno v The Queen (1989) 166 CLR 466 Sinha v Health Care Complaints Commission [2001] NSWCA 206 Smith v Bar Association of New South Wales (1992) 176 CLR 256 Stead v State Government Insurance Commission (1986) 161 CLR 141 PARTIES : Ross Garfield Barwick (Appellant) Council of the Law Society of New South Wales (Respondent) FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40237/03 COUNSEL : P Brereton SC (Appellant) G C Lindsay SC (Respondent) SOLICITORS : Eakin McCaffery Cox (Appellant) R J Collins (Respondent)