Law Society of South Australia v Jordan

The Full Court of the Supreme Court of South Australia heard an appeal and a motion by the Law Society of South Australia in a matter involving Neville John Jordan, a legal practitioner. The appeal was against findings of unprofessional conduct made by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, and the motion sought to have Jordan's name struck off the roll of legal practitioners. The court considered whether the Tribunal's findings should be upheld and if the Law Society's motion should be granted.

The Tribunal had found Jordan guilty of several counts of unprofessional conduct, including practising without a current practising certificate, failing to respond to the Legal Practitioners Conduct Board's requests for information, and making false statements in an affidavit. The Tribunal recommended that disciplinary proceedings be commenced against Jordan in the Supreme Court. The Law Society relied on these findings in its motion to strike Jordan's name off the roll of practitioners.

The court found that the Tribunal's findings were supported by substantial evidence and that Jordan's appeal against those findings should be dismissed. The court also found that the Master's findings in taxing Jordan's costs should stand, as they were based on a thorough investigation of the issues and were not interfered with on review.

In light of the findings of unprofessional conduct by the Tribunal and the Master, the court concluded that Jordan's name should be struck off the roll of legal practitioners. The court found that Jordan's conduct demonstrated a failure to understand or accept his professional obligations, and that his conduct was indicative of a failure to meet the required standards of conduct. The court granted the Law Society's motion and ordered that Jordan's name be removed from the roll of practitioners.