Lawyer struck off roll of legal practitioners

June 13, 2012

The Supreme Court of Victoria ordered on 26 March 2012 that Melbourne lawyer David Tansey be struck off the roll of legal practitioners maintained by the Supreme Court.

The Legal Services Board made an application to the Supreme Court to have Mr Tansey’s name removed from the roll of local legal practitioners on the basis that Mr Tansey pleaded guilty to 25 charges of theft. The offences involved $1.9 million stolen from 11 clients between 1999 and 2004. The Supreme Court sentenced Mr Tansey to four years imprisonment in relation to the charges.

In accordance with its Fit and Proper Person Policy, the Board will not usually consider that a person is fit and proper to hold a practising certificate if the person has been found guilty of a serious offence, and their conviction involved dishonesty, prior history of similar offences or indicates a material risk of harm to consumers of legal services unless there are mitigating circumstances.

The Supreme Court also made compensation orders in favour of the Board for claims made on the Fidelity Fund by victims of Mr Tansey’s offences, in the sum of $318,047. The purpose of the Fidelity Fund is to provide compensation to clients who have lost trust money or property due to the dishonest or fraudulent behaviour of a lawyer, law clerk, barrister’s clerk or law practice.