Campbell John Wallis v The Law Society of New South Wales

Campbell John Wallis appealed to the New South Wales Court of Appeal against a decision of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. The dispute concerned the Law Society of New South Wales's refusal to grant Mr Wallis a practising certificate.

The Court of Appeal was required to determine whether the Law Society had acted reasonably and lawfully in refusing to grant Mr Wallis a practising certificate, and whether the Supreme Court had erred in upholding that refusal. Specifically, the court considered the interpretation and application of the relevant provisions of the *Legal Practitioners Act 1984* (NSW) concerning the eligibility for and granting of practising certificates.

The Court of Appeal found that the Law Society had not acted unreasonably or unlawfully in refusing the certificate. It reasoned that the Law Society was entitled to consider the applicant's past conduct and the potential risk to the public and the profession when assessing an application for a practising certificate. The court applied the principles of administrative law, emphasizing that a decision-maker must consider all relevant factors and that the court would not substitute its own discretion for that of the statutory body unless the decision was demonstrably unreasonable or affected by error of law.

The appeal was dismissed, and the decision of the Supreme Court was affirmed.