A Perth barrister who had his practicing certificate reinstated earlier this year is fighting further disciplinary action.
Perth barrister Lloyd Rayney wants remaining professional disciplinary proceedings against him thrown out.
His lawyer, Martin Bennett, claimed at a direction hearing yesterday that further proceedings are an “abuse of process”, an AAP report said.
Rayney successfully fought a claim by the Legal Practice Board that he was not a fit and proper person for practise law and had his certificate reinstated back in February.
The claim stemmed from phone interception charges before a District Court to do with the investigation of the death of his wife. The charges were thrown out by a judge last year.
But the Legal Profession Complaints Committee has brought separate disciplinary proceedings against him, which he is seeking to have dismissed. Bennett said that the committee has already withdrawn five out of eight of the allegations against Rayney.
The president of the State Administrative Tribunal Jeremy Curthoys said yesterday that he didn’t know why the complaints brought by the Legal Practitioners Complaints Committee were not dealt with under the Legal Practice Board’s proceedings.
The LPCC indicated that it would be applying for Justice Curthoys and two other members who heard the Legal Practice Board’s case not to be allowed to preside over its hearing because of apprehended bias, according to a report by the ABC.
The matter was adjourned yesterday, allowing both sides to provide written submissions to the tribunal.
