Abdul-Karim v Council of the New South Wales Bar Association

The applicant, Mr. Abdul-Karim, sought leave to appeal against a decision of the Administrative Decisions Tribunal (the Tribunal) which had found him guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct. The respondent was the Council of the New South Wales Bar Association. The proceedings concerned allegations of professional misconduct against Mr. Abdul-Karim.

The primary legal issue before the Court of Appeal was whether the Tribunal had erred in law in its determination of unsatisfactory professional conduct. Specifically, the Court was required to consider whether leave to appeal should be granted under section 113(2)(b) of the *Administrative Decisions Tribunal Act 1997* (NSW), which permits appeals on questions of law. The Court also had to consider whether it was appropriate to review the merits of the Tribunal's decision.

The Court of Appeal found that the Tribunal had not made any error of law in its findings. The judges were not persuaded that the Tribunal had misconstrued the relevant provisions or applied incorrect legal principles. Consequently, the Court determined that there was no basis to grant leave to appeal on a question of law, nor was it appropriate to review the merits of the decision.

The appeal was accordingly dismissed, and Mr. Abdul-Karim was ordered to pay the costs of the Council of the New South Wales Bar Association.