Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales v Leon Nikolaidis [2010] NSWCA 73

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales v Leon Nikolaidis [2010] NSWCA 73

HEARING DATE(S): 23 March 2010

JUDGMENT DATE: 12 April 2010

JUDGMENT OF: Allsop P at 1; McColl JA at 1; Young JA at 1

1. Orders already made on 23 March 2010: (a) Remove the name of the respondent from the Roll of Local Lawyers of the Supreme Court of New South Wales DECISION: (b) Respondent pay the applicant's costs of the proceeding. 2. Declare that the respondent is guilty of professional misconduct. 3. Declare that the respondent is not a fit and proper person to remain on the Roll of Local Lawyers of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

CATCHWORDS: LEGAL PRACTITIONERS - Removal from Roll of Local Lawyers - professional misconduct - whether fit and proper person to remain on the Roll - whether person of good fame and character - Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW) ss 25, 42 and 497 - lawyer convicted for making false instrument - effluxion of time and reformation of character - nature and quality of criminal conduct established present unfitness to practise.

Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) LEGISLATION CITED: Legal Profession Act 1987 (NSW) Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW)

CATEGORY: Principal judgment

Azzopardi v The Queen [2001] HCA 25; 205 CLR 50 Beattie v Osman [2009] NSWSC 834; 73 ACSR 220 Blanch v British American Tobacco Australia Services Ltd [2005] NSWSC 241; 62 NSWLR 653 Bridges v Law Society of New South Wales [1983] 2 NSWLR 361 Council of the New South Wales Bar Association v Einfeld [2009] NSWCA 255 Council of the New South Wales Bar Association v Power [2008] NSWCA 135; 71 NSWLR 451 Ex parte Tziniolis; Re Medical Practitioners Act (1966) 67 SR (NSW) 448 CASES CITED: Health Care Complaints Commission v Litchfield (1997) 41 NSWLR 630 Law Society of New South Wales v Foreman (1994) 34 NSWLR 408 Law Society of New South Wales v Seymour; Prothonotary v Seymour (Court of Appeal, 14 April 1982, unreported) Massoud v NRMA (1995) 62 NSWLR 657 New South Wales Bar Association v Cummins [2001] NSWCA 284; 52 NSWLR 279 Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales v McCaffrey [2004] NSWCA 470 Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales v Ritchard (Court of Appeal, 31 July 1987, unreported) Weissensteiner v The Queen [1993] HCA 65; 178 CLR 217 Ziems v Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales [1957] HCA 46; 97 CLR 279