Bar Exam, Ethics 1 Questions And Answers

Bar Exam, Ethics 1 Questions And
Answers

BrysonbvbNSWbBarbAssociationb-bCORRECTbbANSWER-Principles
Sectionb171C(1)(f)bdoesbnotbincludebthebpowerbtobmakebanborderbforbsupervision.
Abfinebmaybbebimposedbinbadditionbtobanybcriminalbpenaltybimposed.b

Thebordersbinbsectionb171Cbarebaccumulateb-
bthebTribunalbmaybmakebanyboneborbmorebofbtheborders.b




Whilebunclearb-
bitbappearsbthatbitbisbsufficientbthatbthebpartiesbshouldbbebgivenbthebopportunitybtobmakebsub

missionsbonbwhatbordersbshouldbbebmadebunderbsb171Cbgenerallybratherbthanbthebspecificb
orderbcontemplated.b

ThebneedbtobgivebreasonsbrequiredbthebTribunalbtobtakebintobaccountballbthebfactsbofbabpartic
ularbcasebandbabjudgmentbmustbthenbbebmadebasbtobthebappropriatebresponse.bThisbdoesbn
otbreasonbparticularitybasbtobthebreasonsbforbimposebabfinebofbabparticularbamount.

ChamberlianbvbLawbSocietybofbACTb-bCORRECTbbANSWER-Facts
Inbabpersonalbactionbagainstbabbarrister/solicitor,bthebDCTbmistakenlybclaimedb$25Kbnotb$2
50Kbinbabwrit.b

Tobtakebadvantagebofbthebmistake,babpractitionerbhadbthebDCTbsignbtermsbofbsettlementban
dbwithdrewbobjectionsbtobnoticesbofbassessment.bThebDCTbunsuccessfullybsoughtbtobrecov
erbthebbalance.

SupremebCourtbsuspendedbthebpractitionerbforb6bmonths.b
Decision:bAppealballowedbinbpart,bsetbasidebsuspensionbofb6bmonthsbandbsubstitutedbabrepr
imand.

Principles
Professionalbmisconductb-
bwhilebthebtermbshouldbnotbbebcategoricallybdefined,bitbincludesbconductbwhichbmaybreason

ablybbebheldbtobviolate,borbfallbshortbof,btobabsubstantialbdegree,bthebstandardbofbprofessiona
lbconductbobservedborbapprovedbbybmembersbofbthebprofessionbofbgoodbreputebandbcompe
tency.b

, Professionalbmisconductbincludesbpersonalbconductbinvolvingbthebknowledgebandbskillbasb
ablegalbpractitionerb(i.e.babpractitionerbrepresentingbher/himself).

Mistakesb-
bAbpractitionerbshouldbnotifybanbopponentbofbabmistakebifbitbdoesbnotbprejudicebher/hisbclient

.b

Inbsomebcircumstancesbabpractitionerbmaybtakebadvantagebofbanbopponent'sbmistakeb(itbw
ouldbhavebbeenbokbtobpaidbthebamountbclaimedbonbthebwritb/ballowedbdefaultbjudgmentbtobbe
benteredbforbthebamountbofbthebwrit).b




Abpractitionerbmustbnot,bhowever,bdoborbsaybanythingbtobinduceborbfosterbthatbmistakeborbov
ersight.

Hereb-
bwhilebthebpractitionerbdidbnotbinducebthebmistake,bhebdidbtakebabnumberbofbstepsbthatbfoste

redbthebmistake.bThisbconstitutedbprofessionalbmisconduct.b
Thebconductbwasbatbtheblowerbendbofbthebscale.bGivenbitsbisolatedbnaturebandbthebcharacter
bofbthebpractitioner,bsuspensionbwasbdisproportionatebandbabreprimandbwasbsufficient.




ClynebvbNSWbBarbAssociationb-bCORRECTbbANSWER-Facts
Criminalbprosecutionsbcommencedbagainstbabsolicitorbtobintimidatebthebsolicitorbintobceasin
gbtobactbonbthebbeliefbthatbthisbwouldbfacilitatebthebsettlementbofbvariousbcivilbproceedings.bT
hebcriminalbproceedingsbconcernedbthebsolicitorb'unlawfullybmaintaining'bproceedings.b
Therebwasbnobevidencebthatbcouldbsustainbthebcharges.b

ThebBarristerbmadebdamagingbstatementsbconcerningbthebsolicitorbinbhisbopeningbthatbwer
ebnotbsupportedbbybthebevidence.bThebopeningbexpresslyboutlinedbthebpurposebofbthebcrimi
nalbprosecutions.b

ThebFullbCourtbofbthebNSWbSupremebCourtbstruckbthebbarristerbofbthebrollbofbbarristers.b
Decision:bappealbdismissed.

Principles
Ultimatebquestionb-
bwhetherbabpersonbisbshownbnotbtobbebabfitbandbproperbpersonbtobbebabmemberbofbthebBar.bT

hisbisbnotbcapablebofbabmorebprecisebstatement.b

Standardb-
bAnbappealbcourtbshouldbnotbinterferebunlessbitbisbclearbthatbthebdiscretionbofbthebSupremeb

Courtbhasbbeenbwronglybexercisedb(i.e.btherebisbcompellingbgrounds)

Naturebofbprofessionalbrulesb-btheybcanbroughlybbebdividedbintobtwobcategories:
1.bwrittenbrulesbthatbarebconventionalbinbcharacterb-
bdesignedbprimarilybtobregulatebconductbofbthebmembersbofbthebprofessionbinbrelationbtobon