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
2021	Janusz Kaminski	The practitioner’s name is struck from the roll of practitioners kept by the Supreme Court of SA	Struck off
Full name Janusz Kaminski Business address * 26 Carabeen Way, Lyndhurst, VICTORIA 3975 Date(s) of admission 01 May 1989 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter Decision The practitioner’s name is struck from the roll of practitioners kept by the Supreme Court of SA Date of decision 21 September 2021 Disciplinary action taken Struck off Notes Application made pursuant to section 89(1b) or 88A of the Legal Practitioners Act, 1981 with the consent of the practitioner on the basis of medical evidence which demonstrates the practitioner is no longer fit to practise the profession of the law. Regulatory authority Supreme Court Appeal Decision or order Link to published decision
2021	Frederick Mark Boyd Turner	Professional Misconduct	Multiple Disciplinary Action
Full name Frederick Mark Boyd Turner Business address * Level 1, 48 Carrington Street ADELAIDE SA 5000 Date(s) of admission 05 April 1983 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter Drawing a Will for an elderly lady on instructions from a family member without first meeting with her, so that he could consider issues of capacity and/or undue influence. Decision Professional Misconduct Date of decision 07 July 2021 Disciplinary action taken Multiple Disciplinary Action Conditions on Practising Certificate Fine Order to apologise Reprimand Notes Condition on practising certificate that practitioner complete one extra unit of Mandatory Continuing Professional Development on the subject of taking instructions for Wills within 6 months of the date of this order. The amount of the fine is $6,500.00. Regulatory authority Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner Appeal Decision or order Decision not published
2021	Anna Katarzyna Jones	Professional Misconduct	Conditions on Practising Certificate
Full name Anna Katarzyna Jones Business address * 34 Cadell Street GOOLWA SA 5214 Date(s) of admission 09 February 2009 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter Not responding to formal notices served under clause 4 of schedule 4 of the Legal Practitioners Act requesting information and documents. Decision Professional Misconduct Date of decision 16 June 2021 Disciplinary action taken Conditions on Practising Certificate Enter into a Professional Mentoring Agreement Reprimand Notes 15 June 2023 Mentoring Agreement expires Regulatory authority Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal Appeal Decision or order Link to published decision
2021	Christopher James Rosser	Practitioner’s name struck off the Roll.	Struck off
Full name Christopher James Rosser Business address * 20 King Arthurs Court, Sovereign Island, Queensland 4216 Date(s) of admission 16 February 2001, 20 May 1994 Jurisdiction(s) of admission 1. Queensland 2. South Australia Home jurisdiction * Queensland Substance of Conduct Matter Practitioner struck off the Roll in Queensland on 4 December 2020. Decision Practitioner’s name struck off the Roll. Date of decision 19 March 2021 Disciplinary action taken Struck off Notes LPCC Application made pursuant to Section 89(6), relying on Interstate Strike Off. Orders made by consent. Regulatory authority Supreme Court Appeal Decision or order Link to published decision
2021	David Fullerton Cleland	Professional Misconduct	Multiple Disciplinary Action
Full name David Fullerton Cleland Business address * 89 Hewitt Avenue TOORAK GARDENS SA 5065 Date(s) of admission 12 February 2001 Jurisdiction(s) of admission South Australia Home jurisdiction * South Australia Substance of Conduct Matter The Practitioner prepared two wills for his 87 year old aunt in 2014 in circumstances in which he was the primary beneficiary. The Practitioner prepared the two wills without assessing the testamentary capacity of his aunt, without considering his ethical and fiduciary duties, without keeping notes of his instructions from his aunt, without regard to the position of conflict he was in and without advising his aunt to obtain independent legal advice. Decision Professional Misconduct Date of decision 17 March 2021 Disciplinary action taken Multiple Disciplinary Action Conditions on Practising Certificate Fine Reprimand Suspension of Practising Certificate Notes The Court of Appeal reprimanded the Practitioner, imposed a fine of $50,000, suspended him from practice as a legal practitioner for six months commencing Monday 22 February 2021, and ordered that it would be a condition on any practising certificate issued to the Practitioner that he is prohibited from engaging in any legal work involving the drawing or execution of any will or other testamentary instrument. The Practitioner does not currently hold a practising certificate. The Court of Appeal suspended him from practice for a period of 6 months from the date of the Order of the Court of Appeal, which was 22 February 2021. Date of decision was 17 March 2021 (though date of suspension order is 22 February 2021) Regulatory authority Appeal Decision or order Link to published decision