Law Society of New South Wales v Allen

In the case of Law Society of New South Wales v Allen, the Law Society sought the removal of Craig Michael Allen from the roll of legal practitioners in New South Wales, as well as an order for him to pay the costs incurred by the Law Society. The dispute arose from allegations of professional misconduct by Allen, including dishonest conduct and breaches of the legal profession's ethical standards. The Supreme Court of New South Wales was tasked with determining whether the allegations were substantiated and whether disciplinary action against Allen was warranted.

The court considered various pieces of evidence, including witness testimonies and Allen's own admissions, to assess the credibility and weight of the allegations. Key issues included whether Allen had indeed engaged in dishonest conduct and whether his actions constituted professional misconduct severe enough to warrant expulsion from the legal profession. The court also examined whether Allen's conduct reflected poorly on his fitness to practise law.

The Supreme Court found that the evidence presented by the Law Society sufficiently demonstrated that Allen had engaged in dishonest conduct and had breached ethical standards. The court concluded that Allen's actions were serious enough to merit expulsion from the legal profession. Consequently, the court ordered that Allen's name be removed from the roll of legal practitioners in New South Wales and that he pay the Law Society's costs amounting to $2,464.40 inclusive of GST.