Stanoevski v Law Society of New South Wales (No 2) (LSD)

The Law Society of New South Wales, in its capacity as the regulatory body for legal practitioners in New South Wales, brought disciplinary proceedings against a lawyer, Mr Stanoevski, before the Legal Services Division of the Supreme Court. The allegations against Mr Stanoevski included delaying tactics, falsely attesting a signature, forging documents, misleading the Family Court, misleading the Law Society, and unsatisfactory professional conduct. The Law Society argued that these actions amounted to professional misconduct and unsatisfactory professional conduct warranting disciplinary action against Mr Stanoevski.

The court had to determine whether Mr Stanoevski's conduct constituted professional misconduct and unsatisfactory professional conduct as alleged. The court considered the principles of legal ethics and professional responsibility, examining whether the actions of Mr Stanoevski breached the relevant provisions of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW). The court assessed the evidence presented by both parties and evaluated the seriousness and frequency of the alleged misconduct.

In its decision, the court found that Mr Stanoevski's conduct did indeed constitute professional misconduct and unsatisfactory professional conduct. The court held that the evidence demonstrated that Mr Stanoevski had engaged in delaying tactics, falsely attested a signature, forged documents, and misled both the Family Court and the Law Society. These actions were deemed to be serious breaches of the legal profession's ethical standards and warranted disciplinary action. The court concluded that the appropriate course of action was to relist the matter for further submissions on the form of orders to be made.