Disciplinary Register
The Register of Disciplinary Action contains information about lawyers who have been disciplined
Disciplinary action may be taken by the Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner, the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, the Supreme Court or in some cases, by their interstate equivalents.
Below you can search the Register by lawyer’s name and/or the disciplinary action taken, or view the entire Register.
A finding of Professional Misconduct, whether made by the Commissioner, the Tribunal or the Supreme Court, must be published on the Register.
A less serious finding of Unsatisfactory Professional Conduct may be included on the Register, at the discretion of the Commissioner.
Not all lawyers subject to disciplinary action prior to 1 July 2014 are listed on the Register. Only lawyers who have been struck-off (ie removed from practice), suspended from practice or placed under supervision for a period of time (and which was in effect as at 1 July 2014) are on the Register. Some information is not on the Register for older disciplinary actions.
Lawyers found guilty of misconduct in other jurisdictions may have their details published on an interstate disciplinary action register.
If a finding that is entered on the Register is appealed, then the fact of the appeal will also be noted on the Register. If the appeal, or indeed any review:
- results in the finding being quashed, then any reference to that disciplinary action must be removed from the Register;
- results in the finding being otherwise varied, then the Register will be amended appropriately.
The Commissioner has a discretion to remove information that was previously included on the Register. They can only do so where the information relates to relatively minor misconduct, and only if it has been at least 2 years since the later of:
- the inclusion of the information on the Register; and
- the fulfilment of the order or requirement to which the information relates.
Disclaimer: The Commissioner is required to maintain the Register of Disciplinary Action in accordance with the Act, Section 89C. While all reasonable care is taken to make sure the information on the Register is correct and up-to-date, the Commissioner is not liable for any loss or damage that may result from reliance on the Register or from any error or deficiency in the Register. The Commissioner also has certain specific protections from liability under section 89F of the Act.
| Date of decision | Full name | Decision | Disciplinary action taken | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Alfonso Paul Strappazzon | Unprofessional Conduct & Professional Misconduct | Multiple Disciplinary Action | |
|
Full name
Alfonso Paul Strappazzon
Business address *
15 Brougham Place, Alberton SA 5014
Date(s) of admission
03 April 1978
Jurisdiction(s) of admission
Home jurisdiction *
South Australia
Substance of Conduct Matter
Failure to prosecute client's claim, allowing it to become out of time, failure to communicate with client.
Decision
Unprofessional Conduct & Professional Misconduct
Date of decision
20 December 2016
Disciplinary action taken
Notes
Condition on Practising Certificate requiring Practitioner to undertake further education and training if he applies to renew or obtain a Practising Certificate at any time after 30 June 2017
Regulatory authority
Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner
Appeal
Decision or order
Decision not published
|
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| 2016 | Kathleen Anne Chambers | Professional Misconduct | Multiple Disciplinary Action | |
|
Full name
Kathleen Anne Chambers
Business address *
KC Lawyers, Unit 2, 196 Main Road, Blackwood SA 5051
Date(s) of admission
12 May 1994
Jurisdiction(s) of admission
Home jurisdiction *
South Australia
Substance of Conduct Matter
Failed to communicate with her client in a timely and professional fashion. Terminated her client's retainer without reasonable excuse. Failed to release her client's file to his new solicitor in a timely fashion. Failed to follow her client's instructions to file a Notice of Dispute with the Workers Compensation Tribunal. Made a false statement to her client's new solicitor that she did not hold any documents on behalf of her client, when she did.
Decision
Professional Misconduct
Date of decision
07 December 2016
Disciplinary action taken
Notes
Fined $7,500.00. Ordered to apologise to client and client's new solicitor. Ordered to refrain from charging her client any legal costs in excess of what she could recover from ReturnToWork (SA).
Regulatory authority
Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner
Appeal
Decision or order
Decision not published
|
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| 2016 | David Vahid Humphrey | Professional Misconduct | Multiple Disciplinary Action | |
|
Full name
David Vahid Humphrey
Business address *
Andersons Solicitors, Shop 7, Southgate Plaza Shopping Centre, 90-108 Sheriffs Road, MORPHETT VALE SA 5162
Date(s) of admission
16 December 2002, 01 November 1986
Jurisdiction(s) of admission
Home jurisdiction *
South Australia
Substance of Conduct Matter
The practitioner was the executor/trustee of a deceased estate. He had overcharged the estate nearly $20,000 for his legal work on the estate. The practitioner failed to reimburse that amount to the estate within a reasonable period from when he became aware of the overcharge. The practitioner intermixed monies in his own account with trust monies of the estate in breach of clause 21 of schedule 2 of the Legal Practitioners Act. The practitioner intentionally and/or recklessly misled the Commissioner by representing to the Commissioner that the practitioner had refunded that amount to the estate when he had not done so.
Decision
Professional Misconduct
Date of decision
06 December 2016
Disciplinary action taken
Notes
The practitioner was fined $10,000. The practitioner was ordered to enter into a Professional Mentoring Agreement. The practitioner's Practising Certificate was suspended for a period of 6 weeks, from 25 February 2017 to 8 April 2017.
Regulatory authority
Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner
Appeal
Decision or order
Decision not published
|
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| 2016 | Sydney Gordon Maidment | Unprofessional Conduct | Multiple Disciplinary Action | |
|
Full name
Sydney Gordon Maidment
Business address *
5 Clarke Street, Norwood SA 5067
Date(s) of admission
05 March 1963
Jurisdiction(s) of admission
Home jurisdiction *
South Australia
Substance of Conduct Matter
Grossly and inappropriately overcharged his client, in circumstances where he knew or ought to have known that his costs agreement was invalid, by charging more than Supreme Court Scale and by charging non-legal office expenses as legal costs.
Decision
Unprofessional Conduct
Date of decision
30 November 2016
Disciplinary action taken
Notes
Fined $5,000.00. Ordered to apologise to his client. Ordered to refrain from including his service company or any non-legal entity in which he has a direct or indirect financial interest as a party in any costs and/or fees agreement between him and his clients. He also must not charge his clients costs for non-legal work by him or any related entity other than as a disbursement which has been authorised in writing by the client.
Regulatory authority
Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner
Appeal
Decision or order
Decision not published
|
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| 2016 | Gregory Donovan Gwynfor Morcom | Practitioner not a fit and proper person to remain a legal practioner | Struck off | |
|
Full name
Gregory Donovan Gwynfor Morcom
Business address *
11 First Street, Wingfield SA 5013
Date(s) of admission
10 October 2005
Jurisdiction(s) of admission
Home jurisdiction *
South Australia
Substance of Conduct Matter
Convictions for possession of child pornography and possession of a prescribed firearm without a licence, convictions for breach of bail, convictions for offences contrary to the Customs Act, 1901 (Cth), convictions for possession of prescribed equipment and prescription drugs without a prescription, breach of an undertaking given to the Supreme Court not to practise law, and numerous breaches of a suspended sentence bond and supervised bail agreement including by the use of methylamphetamine.
Decision
Practitioner not a fit and proper person to remain a legal practioner
Date of decision
04 November 2016
Disciplinary action taken
Notes
Appeal period expires 02/12/16
Regulatory authority
Supreme Court of South Australia
Appeal
Decision or order
Link to published decision
|
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