A lawyer who swore at a police prosecutor in court has been fined and censured.
A lawyer who swore at a police prosecutor in court has been censured and fined $500.
The Law Society standards committee did not disclose the man’s name but said his comments, while made “in the heat of the battle”, were inappropriate, abusive and breached ethical standards.
The NZ Herald reported that a complaint to the Law Society from the Police Prosecution Service said the lawyer made three comments that the sergeant was lying and swore twice.
The committee was told that he immediately regretted the comments and apologised.
“He said that his apology was sincere and that it was not until he received a police letter that he was aware that his apology was not accepted as such,” the committee said.
But the committee deemed his actions unsatisfactory, finding him to have breached the rule that “a lawyer must promote and maintain proper standards of professionalism in the lawyer’s dealings”.
He was fined $500 and ordered for apologise to the police officer in writing.
