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GAZETTE
DECEMBER 1992
Annual Report
of the Discipl inary Commi t tee
T h e Disciplinary C omm i t t ee met
on 29 occasions between 1
September, 1991 a nd 31 August,
1992.
T h e following a p p l i c a t i o ns were
considered by the C omm i t t ee d u r i ng
this period:-
Subject Matter of Complaints
• Civil C l a ims
• Conveyancing
• P r o b a te
• Solicitors' Ac c o u n ts Regulations
New Applications
52
Law Society
P r i ma facie cases f o u nd
32
P r i ma facie case n ot f o u nd
1
P o s t p o n ed u n d er Section 7 (4)
b e f o re inquiry directed.
2
Private
P r i ma facie case f o u nd
5
P r i ma facie case n ot f o u nd
12
At Hearing
37
Law Society
Mi s c o n d u ct
14
A d j o u r n ed
16
A d j o u r n ed generally
1
Dismissed w i t h o ut p r e j u d i ce
1
Private
A d j o u r n ed
4
N o m i s c o n d u ct
1
Applications From Previous Year
15
Law Society
Mi s c o n d u ct
10
N o m i s c o n d u ct
1
F u r t h er i nqu i ry held wh en case
was remitted by t he P r e s i d e nt of
t he H i gh C o u r t
1
A d j o u r n ed
2
Private
Mi s c o n d u ct
1
Main Grounds on which the
Committee found Misconduct
• Allowing a deficit to arise on
client a c c o u n t.
• Mi s a p p r o p r i a t i on of clients'
mo n i es a n d utilising t h em for
solicitor's own b e n e f i t.
• False a nd inaccurate entries m a d e
in the b o o ks of a c c o u nt in order
to conceal the deficit arising f r om
the m i s a p p r o p r i a t i on of clients'
f u n d s.
• Deliberately misleading a nd
ma k i ng false representations to
the Society's investigating
a c c o u n t a nt in order to conceal
the m i s a p p r o p r i a t i on of f u n d s.
• Allowing a debit b a l a n ce to arise
on client a c c o u n t.
• Failing to ma i n t a in p r o p er b o o ks
of a c c o u n t.
• Failing to c omp ly with the
provisions of Regulation 3 of the
Solicitors Ac c o u n ts Regulations
(No. 2) 1984 (S.I. 304 of 1984.)
• P r o p er b o o ks of a c c o u nt were not
written u p at all times as required
u n d er the provisions of p a r a g r a ph
10 of the Solicitors Ac c o u n ts
Regulations (No. 2) 1984.
• Failing to f u r n i sh an a c c o u n t a n t 's
report as required u n d er the
Solicitors Ac c o u n ts Regulations.
• Wi t h d r aw i ng f r om client a c c o u nt
mo n i es o t h er t h an mo n i es
p e rmi t t ed by Regulation 7 of the
Solicitors Ac c o u n ts Regulations
(No. 2) 1984;
• Failing to c omp ly with Regulation
10 (3) of the Solicitors Ac c o u n ts
Regulations in c o n n e c t i on with
p r e p a r i ng the b a l a n c i ng a nd
reconciliation s t a t eme n ts relating
to a client a c c o u n t.
397