Potkonyak v Legal Services Commissioner (No 2) [2018] NSWCA 173

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Potkonyak v Legal Services Commissioner (No 2) [2018] NSWCA 173 Hearing dates: 5 April 2018 Decision date: 08 August 2018 Before: Beazley P at [1]; Payne JA at [203]; Simpson AJA at [204] Decision: Appeal dismissed with costs Catchwords: OCCUPATIONS – legal practitioners – appellant found guilty of professional misconduct in respect of his conduct of proceedings under the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW) – appellant removed from roll – whether Tribunal should have considered proper interpretation of the Act – whether Tribunal denied appellant procedural fairness by failing to consider appellant's evidence and submissions – whether Tribunal failed to give adequate reasons – whether Tribunal should have permitted appellant to adduce evidence regarding prior complaints – whether there was a reasonable apprehension of bias on the part of the Tribunal Legislation Cited: Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW), ss 90, 91 Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 (NSW), s 62, Sch 5 Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 99 Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW), s 562 Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW), ss 496, 497, 498, Sch 4 Professional Conduct and Practice Rules 2013 (NSW), rr 3, 4, 5 Revised Professional Conduct and Practice Rules 1995 (NSW), Advocacy Rules 23, A.36, A.37 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), ss 48, 75A Cases Cited: Akins v National Australia Bank (1994) 34 NSWLR 155 Bechara v Legal Services Commissioner (2010) 79 NSWLR 763; [2010] NSWCA 369 Clyne v New South Wales Bar Association (1960) 104 CLR 186; [1960] HCA 40 Department of Family and Community Services re GKD (Children's Court of New South Wales, unreported, Magistrate Murphy, 26 April 2013) Ebner v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (2000) 205 CLR 337; [2000] HCA 63 Ellis v Law Society [2008] EWHC 561 Ex parte Lenehan (1948) 77 CLR 403; [1948] HCA 45 Griffin v Council of the Law Society of New South Wales [2016] NSWCA 364 HK v Director General, Department of Family and Community Services (District Court of New South Wales, unreported, Balla DCJ, 7 August 2013) JL v Secretary, Department of Family and Community Services [2015] NSWCA 88 Konstantinidis v Council of the Law Society of New South Wales [2018] NSWCA 59 Law Society of New South Wales v Walsh [1997] NSWCA 185 Lawrence v Gunner (No 3) [2016] NSWCA 18 Legal Services Commissioner v Potkonyak (No 2) [2017] NSWCATOD 134 Louise v Director General of Community Services [2011] NSWSC 1646 Mabo v Queensland (No 2) (1992) 175 CLR 1; [1992] HCA 23 McCann v Parsons (1954) 93 CLR 418; [1954] HCA 70 New South Wales Bar Association v Cummins (2001) 52 NSWLR 279; [2001] NSWCA 284 New South Wales Bar Association v Evatt (1968) 117 CLR 177; [1968] HCA 20 New South Wales Bar Association v Meakes [2006] NSWCA 340 Potkonyak v Legal Services Commissioner [2018] NSWCA 1 Preston v Green (1944) 61 WN (NSW) 204 Re Felicity (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 1561 Re Felicity; FM v Secretary, Department of Family & Community Services (No 4) [2015] NSWCA 19 Re Felicity; FM v Secretary, Department of Family & Community Services (No 3) [2014] NSWCA 226 Smith v New South Wales Bar Association (1992) 176 CLR 256; [1992] HCA 36 Tjiong v Tjiong [2012] NSWCA 201 Walter v Council of Queensland Law Society Inc (1988) 77 ALR 228; [1988] HCA 8 Weaver v Law Society of New South Wales (1979) 142 CLR 201; [1979] HCA 35 Wentworth v New South Wales Bar Association (1992) 176 CLR 239; [1992] HCA 24 Ziems v Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales (1957) 97 CLR 279; [1957] HCA 46 Category: Principal judgment Parties: George Potkonyak (Appellant) Legal Services Commissioner (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: In person (Appellant) C A Webster SC; P A Maddigan (Respondent)