The Gazette 1993

GAZETTE

MWH DECEMBER 1993

Annual Report of the Disciplinary Committee 1992/1993

• Allowing debit balances to arise on a client account. • Making a false statement to a bank manager. • Deliberately misleading and making false representations to the Society's Investigating Accountant in order to conceal misappropriation of funds. • Not maintaining proper books of account. • Delaying in processing a personal injury claim and allowing the claim to become statute barred. • Failing to take proper action on behalf of clients in relation to their civil claims. • Failing to adequately supervise his office and the attention to work by his unqualified staff. • Delaying in handing over a file to a complainant. • Failing to carry out the instructions of the complainants to complete the registration of the complainants' title. • Delaying in the registration of his client's title. • Causing serious material loss and inconvenience to the complainants by failing to complete their instructions. • Delaying in the extraction of a Grant of Probate. • Failing to respond to enquiries raised by the executor. • Failing to furnish any report to the complainant or to give any reason for the delay in the extraction of a grant of Probate. • Misleading clients and the Society.

New Applications to Disciplinary Committee

26

Law Society

Prima facie cases found

5

At Hearing Misconduct

1

2 2

No misconduct

Adjourned

Private

Prima facie case found Prima facie case not found

9

12

At Hearing Misconduct

1

5 2

No misconduct

Adjourned

1

Date for inquiry to be arranged

22

Applications From Previous Year

Law Society

At Hearing Misconduct Leave to withdraw after inquiry directed Adjourned generally Adjourned

15

Private

At Hearing Misconduct No misconduct Adjourned

Main Grounds on which the Committee Found Misconduct

The Disciplinary Committee met on 17 occasions between 1 September, 1992 and 31 August, 1993. The applications shown above were considered by the Committee during this period:- Subject Matters of Complaints • Civil Claims • Conveyancing • Probate • Solicitors' Accounts Regulations

!

Each complaint contained a number j of these grounds: j • Allowing a deficit to arise on a j client account. I • Misappropriating clients' monies j and utilising the monies for personal benefit. • Making false and inaccurate entries j in the books of account in order to j conceal the deficit arising from the j misappropriation of clients' funds.

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