Veghelyi v The Law Society of New South Wales

The Court of Appeal of New South Wales heard an appeal by Mr. Veghelyi against a decision of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. The dispute concerned the Law Society of New South Wales' refusal to grant Mr. Veghelyi a practising certificate for the year 1994-1995. Mr. Veghelyi sought to have this refusal set aside.

The primary legal issue before the Court of Appeal was whether the Law Society had acted unlawfully in refusing to grant Mr. Veghelyi a practising certificate. This involved determining whether the Law Society had properly exercised its discretion under the relevant legislation, specifically the *Legal Profession Act 1987* (NSW), and whether its decision was affected by an error of law.

The Court of Appeal found that the Law Society had failed to provide Mr. Veghelyi with adequate reasons for its refusal, thereby breaching the principles of procedural fairness. The Court held that while the Law Society had a discretion to refuse a practising certificate, this discretion must be exercised reasonably and in accordance with the law. The absence of proper reasons meant that Mr. Veghelyi was unable to understand the basis of the decision or to challenge it effectively. Consequently, the Court allowed the appeal and ordered that the Law Society's decision be set aside.