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17 misconduct findings against solicitors

The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal (LPDT) made determinations in 19 cases of alleged misconduct against legal practitioners last year, according to its inaugural report.

It made determinations of misconduct in 17 cases, while in two cases it found that there was no misconduct. All 19 cases concerned solicitors.

The tribunal is an independent statutory body under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015.

Most applications from Law Society

Its role is to consider complaints of misconduct against solicitors and barristers referred to it from the LSRA’s Complaints Committee or the Law Society.

The LPDT began receiving applications from both the Law Society and the LSRA in 2022.

Its report shows that it received 29 applications in 2022 and 22 last year, with almost 80% coming from the Law Society.

It considered 26 cases on 17 different hearing dates last year.

Struck off

In cases of misconduct, the tribunal either makes an order on the sanction to be imposed under section 82(1) of the 2015 act, or makes a recommendation to the High Court on the sanction it believes to be appropriate under section 82(2) of the act.

The LPDT report shows that it made 14 orders regarding sanctions against solicitors, as well as three recommendations to the High Court.

Most of the tribunal’s 14 orders involved a mixture of censure, fines, and costs.

In one case, it recommended to the High Court that a practitioner be struck off the Roll of Solicitors, while another recommendation involved suspension from practice.

In a third case, it recommended that a practitioner was not a fit person to be on the Roll of Solicitors.

Writing in the report, LPDT chair Tom Coughlan said that he anticipated an increase in the tribunal’s workload and number of inquiry hearings in 2024.