An NT lawyer who had his practising certificate stripped has failed in his attempt to return to practice.
NT lawyer Wayne Connop has been unsuccessful in his bid to return to unrestricted practice, the Supreme Court judgment labelling his professional conduct as “incompetent”, “reckless”, substandard and dishonest.
Last year, repeated complaints from clients and a letter of concern from Supreme Court Justice Judith Kelly saw the Law Society strip Connop of his unrestricted practising certificate.
Supreme Court Justice Graham Hiley said Connop was not a fit and proper person to hold an unrestricted certificate, after he withdrew money from clients’ trust accounts without reason according to a report by the Herald Sun.
“I also have considerable doubts about [Connop’s] competence in relation to the law, including in relation to areas in which he claims to have some experience, namely criminal and family law,” Hiley’s judgement read.
“His conduct ... suggests a level of competence considerably below that normally expected of members of the legal profession.”
Law Society NT president Tass Liveris said Connop had not applied to renew his practising certificate and was not eligible to practice law in any capacity in the Northern Territory.
