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 is still in effect as at 1 July 2014) are on the Register. Some information isn't 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 Act and the Regulations were amended as from 30 July 2017 so that, in some cases, the Commissioner now has the discretion to remove information that he had previously included on the Register. However, he 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.

Lawyer name

Date of decision	Full name	Decision	Disciplinary action taken
2019	Jaak Oks	Professional Misconduct	Multiple Disciplinary Action
Full name Jaak Oks Business address * 48 MacKinnon Parade, North Adelaide SA 5006 Date(s) of admission 02 March 1976 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter Failure to act in and protect his client's best interests, including a failure to communicate with his client, a failure to prevent Judgment being entered and acting without instructions. Decision Professional Misconduct Date of decision 28 October 2019 Disciplinary action taken Multiple Disciplinary Action Fine Order to apologise Reprimand Notes Regulatory authority Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner Appeal Decision or order Decision not published
2019	Anthony David Rice	Unprofessional Conduct	Multiple Disciplinary Action
Full name Anthony David Rice Business address * Level 3, 104 Frome Street, Adelaide SA 5000 Date(s) of admission 03 March 1970 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter Preparation of revocation of Power of Attorney for woman in nursing home on instructions from some of her children without meeting with her and ascertaining whether she had capacity to revoke the POA Decision Unprofessional Conduct Date of decision 30 September 2019 Disciplinary action taken Multiple Disciplinary Action Fine Order to apologise Reprimand Notes Fine of $4,000.00 Regulatory authority Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner Appeal Decision or order Decision not published
2019	John Francis Patrick Cyril Colclough Walsh of Brannagh	Guilty of professional misconduct and unsatisfactory professional conduct under section 18A Legal ProfessionAct, 1993 (NI)	Multiple Disciplinary Action
Full name John Francis Patrick Cyril Colclough Walsh of Brannagh Business address * 205 William Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Date(s) of admission 01 October 1982 Jurisdiction(s) of admission Victoria Home jurisdiction * Victoria Substance of Conduct Matter Making false representations, including that he held judicial office and that he was a Knight under the Imperial or Australian Honours system. Decision Guilty of professional misconduct and unsatisfactory professional conduct under section 18A Legal ProfessionAct, 1993 (NI) Date of decision 16 September 2019 Disciplinary action taken Multiple Disciplinary Action Name removed from Roll of Legal Practitioners Struck off Notes Penalty decision in NI removing name from Roll in NI on 23/02/18. Name removed from Roll in Victoria on 16/09/19 pursuant to section 23(2) Legal Profession Uniform Law, relying on NI decision. Although not admitted in SA, decisions included on Disciplinary Register by virtue of section 89C(1)(b) Legal Practitioners Act, 1981 (SA). Regulatory authority Supreme Court of Norfolk Island and Victoria Appeal Decision or order Link to published decision
2019	George Joseph Stephen Mancini	Unsatisfactory Professional Conduct	Multiple Disciplinary Action
Full name George Joseph Stephen Mancini Business address * 48 Belford Avenue, Devon Park SA 5008 Date(s) of admission 21 December 1978 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter Failing to complete settlement of application for judicial review within known statutory time deadline. Decision Unsatisfactory Professional Conduct Date of decision 05 July 2019 Disciplinary action taken Multiple Disciplinary Action Fine Reprimand Notes Regulatory authority Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner Appeal Decision or order Decision not published
2019	Jeffrey David Vigar	Struck Off	Struck off
Full name Jeffrey David Vigar Business address * 7 First Avenue, Naracoorte SA 5271 Date(s) of admission 06 February 1979 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter Gross negligence in the provision of legal services. Intentionally and dishonestly misleading a client. Decision Struck Off Date of decision 13 June 2019 Disciplinary action taken Struck off Notes LPDT decision 12/02/19 recommended disciplinary action in Supreme Court. Practitioner consented to his name being struck off pursuant to section 89(1b) so disciplinary proceedings were not necessary. Regulatory authority Supreme Court Appeal Decision or order Link to published decision